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Posted: 4/21/2024 12:01:37 PM EDT
[#1]
The IDF says it has wrapped up a 50-hour-long operation in the West Bank's Nur Shams refugee camp, adjacent to Tulkarem. Amid the raid, troops killed 14 gunmen in clashes, detained 15 wanted Palestinians, discovered and destroyed dozens of explosives, and captured weapons, according to the military. Nine soldiers and one Border Police officer were hurt during the clashes. They were listed in good and moderate conditions. Palestinian media initially reported that the commander of a local Palestinian Islamic Jihad wing in Tulkarem was killed amid the raid, although reports now say that Muhammad Jaber, known as Abu Shuja'a, did not actually die. He is purportedly seen in footage at the funerals of other gunmen.
Hamas's Lebanon branch claims responsibility for a rocket barrage earlier today on the Upper Galilee. In a statement, the terror group says it launched 20 Grad rockets from Lebanon at an Israeli army base near the town of Shomera. There were no reports of injuries in the attack.
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Posted: 4/21/2024 3:47:08 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#2]
A reservist officer critically wounded in the Hezbollah drone and missile attack on the northern border community of Arab al-Aramshe last week has succumbed to his wounds, the military says. He is named as Maj. (res.) Dor Zimel, 27, a deputy company commander in the Etzioni Brigade, from Even Yehuda. Another 13 soldiers and four civilians were wounded in the attack on April 17, during which Hezbollah launched two anti-tank missiles and an explosive-laden drone from Lebanon, targeting a community center in Arab al-Aramshe where soldiers were gathered.
The IDF says it has wrapped up a 50-hour-long operation in the West Bank's Nur Shams refugee camp, adjacent to Tulkarem. Amid the raid, troops killed 14 gunmen in clashes, detained 15 wanted Palestinians, discovered and destroyed dozens of explosives, and captured weapons, according to the military. Nine soldiers and one Border Police officer were hurt during the clashes. They were listed in good and moderate conditions. Palestinian media initially reported that the commander of a local Palestinian Islamic Jihad wing in Tulkarem was killed amid the raid, although reports now say that Muhammad Jaber, known as Abu Shuja'a, did not actually die. He is purportedly seen in footage at the funerals of other gunmen.
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Posted: 4/21/2024 6:28:01 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#3]
Rockets launched from Iraq at US military base in northeast Syria, security sources say. Link
At least five rockets were launched from Iraq’s town of Zummar toward a US military base in northeastern Syria on Sunday, two Iraqi security sources told Reuters. The attack against US forces is the first since early February when Iranian-backed groups in Iraq stopped their attacks against US troops. Netanyahu vows imminent ‘painful blows,’ diplomatic pressure on Hamas to free hostages. Link Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would “land additional and painful blows” on Hamas over Passover to increase pressure on the terror group to free the hostages it has held in the Gaza Strip for over six months. In a pre-Passover video message shared online, Netanyahu framed the Israel-Hamas war in biblical terms, citing the rabbinic dictum that “in every generation, they rise up to destroy us” and stating that the absence of the hostages over the upcoming holiday “only strengthens our determination to bring them back.” Israel launched its war on Hamas in Gaza after the terror group’s October 7 massacre in southern Israel, in which close to 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were slain, and 253 were kidnapped to Gaza, where more than half are believed to remain. A truce deal in November saw the release of 105 hostages, and a handful of others were freed by the military or let go separately. However, recent talks between the two sides have stalled, with Israel blaming Hamas’s demands that Israel end the war and withdraw its troops from Gaza, we well as the identity and number of Palestinian prisoners that the terror group is demanding be released in exchange for the hostages. “Unfortunately, until now, all proposals for the release of our hostages have been rejected outright by Hamas,” Netanyahu said, pushing back against growing domestic criticism that he has not done enough to secure their freedom. Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah said on Sunday it downed an Israeli drone that was on a combat mission in southern Lebanon. The drone that was brought down above the Al Aishiyeh area in southern Lebanon was "waging its attacks on our steadfast people," a statement said by the group said. Link Israel believes 40 Gaza hostages alive of 133, Daily Mail claims; Shin Bet denies. Link. Fear in Israel is growing that only approximately 40 of the 133 hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 are still alive – so says the UK-based Daily Mail in a report published Sunday morning. The report merely cited a “source” that said intelligence “is much easier to access than before October 7 when we had limited access to Gaza and we didn't have a lot of possibilities of sources.” The approximation was allegedly based on intelligence gathered by the Shin Bet, but the security agency merely denied these claims. “The publication in question is not true and is not in the opinion of the Shin Bet,” the agency said. “The numbers mentioned in the publication are in the writer's opinion only and are not based on information passed on by the Shin Bet.” This report came shortly after, less than two weeks prior, US officials told the Wall Street Journal that they estimate most of the hostages taken from Israel and held by terror groups in the Gaza Strip are no longer alive. CNN, at the same time, reported that Hamas told the mediators in the framework of hostage negotiations that it was unable to identify and locate 40 live hostages to carry out the first phase of the deal, according to an Israeli source, as well as another source privy to the details. |
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Posted: 4/21/2024 6:43:15 PM EDT
[#4]
Overnight, Israeli fighter jets struck several Hezbollah targets in three separate areas of southern Lebanon:
Krav Maga legend Sagi Dovev trains hostage survivor Maya Regev in Krav Maga, helping her fight back to normalcy after being shot, abducted, and enduring surgeries without anesthesia in Gaza. She's a true fighter—heroic and unstoppable! Stand with strength! The IDF says it has wrapped up a 50-hour-long operation in the Nur Shams refugee camp, adjacent to Tulkarem. Israeli fighter jets struck two buildings in southern Lebanon's Ayta ash-Shab a short while ago, where the IDF says Hezbollah terrorist were gathered. Israeli fighter jets struck a Hezbollah operative at a building the IDF says is used by the terror group in southern Lebanon's Kafr Kila. |
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Posted: 4/21/2024 8:25:55 PM EDT
[#5]
  Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 21 April Key Takeaways: Gaza Strip The IDF did not publish information about Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip on April 21. Palestinian militias claimed only one attack targeting Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian Islamic Jihad launched rockets targeting an Israeli military site in southern Israel. West Bank The IDF concluded a major, multi-day “counterterrorism operation” in the Nour Shams Refugee Camp, Tulkarm. Israeli forces engaged Palestinian fighters in Nour Shams, killing 14. The IDF Duvdevan unit arrested 15 wanted persons, destroyed two improvised explosive device manufacturing facilities and dozens of explosives, and seized ammunition during operations in the camp. Palestinian fighters wounded ten Israeli soldiers. Palestinian journalists reported that the IDF had killed a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) commander in Tulkarm on April 19. The same PIJ commander attended the funeral of other Palestinian fighters killed in fighting in Tulkarm, confirming that the commander survived the Israeli operation. Several Palestinian militias called for the mobilization of armed Palestinians across the West Bank in response to the IDF’s Nour Shams operation. Hamas, the Lions’ Den, the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, and the al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades published statements calling for a mass uprising and armed retaliation against the IDF. Those Palestinian militias and others claimed 15 attacks on Israeli forces, Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and Israeli border towns on April 21. PIJ’s Jenin Battalion conducted nine of the 15 attacks. Palestinians also conducted attacks targeting Israeli checkpoints near Hebron and in the Jordan Valley.The timing of these attacks suggests that they are in response to the calls for mobilization. An unspecified group planted an improvised explosive device near Ramallah. The fighters had connected the IED‘s detonator to a Palestinian flag so that when an Israeli attempted to remove the flag, the IED detonated. Palestinians participated in marches and a general strike on April 21 in response to the IDF’s Nour Shams operation. Lebanon Lebanese Hezbollah has conducted at least six attacks from southern Lebanon. Hamas fighters in Lebanon targeted an Israeli military base in northern Israel with 20 122mm Grad rockets. Iraq The Islamic Resistance in Iraq—a coalition of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias—claimed one drone attack targeting an unspecified site in the Golan Heights on April 20.  
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Posted: 4/21/2024 9:42:40 PM EDT
[#6]
Hamas made an unusual and notable claim today. The group says it is responsible for a shooting attack that injured two people in the West Bank on April 7. The vehicle used by the shooter was also rigged with a bomb, apparently to detonate against IDF troops. For an unknown reason, it didn't go off. The shooter had a camera setup inside the car bomb and it appears to have been live streamed during the attack. |
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Posted: 4/22/2024 10:04:08 AM EDT
[#7]
Link for articles below
Police: Two suspects in Jerusalem ramming attack arrested The police reported that three pedestrians were slightly wounded Monday morning in a ramming attack in Jerusalem. Police say two terrorists exited the vehicle after the attack on Techelet Mordechai Street, carrying an improvised submachine gun with the intention to shoot. When they failed, they fled the scene and left behind the weapon. The police arrested two terrorists suspected of carrying out the car ramming attack in Jerusalem on Monday morning. The two were caught hiding in a shop near the scene of the attack, in the neighborhood of Romema. Scene of car attack  Palestinian sources: Terrorists involved in Jerusalem car ramming attack have family ties to Hamas Sources in Hebron said the two terrorists who carried out Monday morning's car ramming attack in Jerusalem come from two families connected to Hamas. One, Hatem Kawasme, is a member of a family associated with Hamas. One of the family's relatives was a top member of Hamas' military wing in the West Bank, Abdullah Kawasme, who was assassinated in 2003 for his involvement in suicide attacks during the second intifada. According to Palestinian sources, the second terrorist is Muataz Abu Alma, whose uncle, Jihad Abel Alma, was active in the founding years of Hamas' military wing in the West Bank in the Hebron area. Clashes between settlers, Palestinians broke out overnight in West Bank, soldiers intervened and shot, wounded locals Israeli security officials started to investigate Sunday night's incident, in which six Palestinians from the West Bank town Burka were wounded. According to the initial findings, clashes between Palestinians and settlers from Oz Zion outpost broke out in Burka when the parties through rocks at each other, after the Palestinians set a settler's car on fire. The settlers then set an agricultural building in the village on fire, which had about 200 sheep inside. Border Control and IDF forces arrived and shot at the Palestinians, wounding at least two of them. The security officials do not know if the settlers used weapons during the clashes. According to the head of the village council, four Palestinians were wounded from the shooting and two were hit by rocks thrown at them According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry on Monday, at least 34,151 Palestinians have been killed and 77,084 wounded in Gaza since Oct. 7 IDF intelligence chief calls for investigative committee for Oct.7 failures In a letter announcing his retirement, the IDF's military intelligence chief Major General Aharon Haliva said, "the Intelligence Division did not live up to the task we were entrusted with. Throughout my duties, I knew that alongside authority comes heavy responsibility." He called for the establishment of a state investigative committee, "that can investigate and find out in a thorough, in-depth, comprehensive and precise manner all the factors and circumstances that led to the difficult events." The IDF's military intelligence chief, Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, announced his resignation on Monday morning, half a year after the October 7 Hamas attack. Haliva is the first general of the army's general staff to leave his position due to the failures that led to the attack and the war in Gaza. The week after the attack, Haliva took public responsibility, writing, "We did not live up to our mission, I bear full responsibility for the failure." |
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Posted: 4/22/2024 10:18:23 AM EDT
[#8]
Israel Planned Bigger Attack on Iran, but Scaled It Back to Avoid War. Link
Highpoints Israel abandoned plans for a much more extensive counterstrike on Iran after concerted diplomatic pressure from the United States and other foreign allies and because the brunt of an Iranian assault on Israel soil had been thwarted. Israeli leaders originally discussed bombarding several military targets across Iran last week, including near Tehran, the Iranian capital, in retaliation for the Iranian strike on April 13. In the end — after President Biden, along with the British and German foreign ministers, urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent a wider war — Israel opted for a more limited strike on Friday. Instead of sending fighter jets into Iranian airspace, Israel fired a small number of missiles from aircraft positioned several hundred miles west of it on Friday, according to the Israeli officials and two senior Western officials briefed on the attack. Israel also sent small attack drones, known as quadcopters, to confuse Iranian air defenses. Israel’s military and political leaders began discussing a counterstrike that could begin as soon as Iran began firing the drones — even before it was known how much damage, if any, they caused....the plan was presented to Israel’s war cabinet...on Friday, April 12. Israel’s intentions changed after Iran attacked, the officials said. The attack was even bigger than expected: With more than 100 ballistic missiles, 170 drones and some 30 cruise missiles, it was one of the largest barrages of this kind in military history. Entire article in quote box Israel Planned Bigger Attack on Iran, but Scaled It Back to Avoid War The strike on Iran on Friday was originally intended to be much broader in scope, but after intense pressure from allies, Israeli leaders agreed to ratchet it down. Israel abandoned plans for a much more extensive counterstrike on Iran after concerted diplomatic pressure from the United States and other foreign allies and because the brunt of an Iranian assault on Israel soil had been thwarted, according to three senior Israeli officials. Israeli leaders originally discussed bombarding several military targets across Iran last week, including near Tehran, the Iranian capital, in retaliation for the Iranian strike on April 13, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive discussions. Such a broad and damaging attack would have been far harder for Iran to overlook, increasing the chances of a forceful Iranian counterattack that could have brought the Middle East to the brink of a major regional conflict. In the end — after President Biden, along with the British and German foreign ministers, urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent a wider war — Israel opted for a more limited strike on Friday that avoided significant damage, diminishing the likelihood of an escalation, at least for now. Still, in the view of Israeli officials, the attack showed Iran the breadth and sophistication of Israel’s military arsenal. Instead of sending fighter jets into Iranian airspace, Israel fired a small number of missiles from aircraft positioned several hundred miles west of it on Friday, according to the Israeli officials and two senior Western officials briefed on the attack. Israel also sent small attack drones, known as quadcopters, to confuse Iranian air defenses, according to the Israeli officials. Military facilities in Iran have been attacked by such drones several times in recent years, and on several occasions Iran has said it did not know who the drones belonged to — a claim interpreted as Iranian reluctance to respond. One missile on Friday hit an antiaircraft battery in a strategically important part of central Iran, while another exploded in midair, the officials said. One Israeli official said that the Israeli Air Force intentionally destroyed the second missile once it became clear that the first had reached its target, to avoid causing too much damage. One Western official said it was possible the missile had simply malfunctioned. The officials said Israel’s intention was to allow Iran to move on without responding in kind, while signaling that Israel had developed the ability to strike Iran without entering its airspace or even setting off its air defense batteries. Israel also hoped to show that it could hit those batteries in a part of central Iran that houses several major nuclear facilities, including an uranium enrichment site at Natanz, hinting that it could have also reached those facilities if it had tried. The Israeli military declined to comment. The path to this attack began on April 1, when Israel struck an Iranian embassy complex in Damascus, Syria, killing seven Iranian officials, including three senior military leaders. Iran had not retaliated after several similar strikes in the past, leading Israeli officials, they say, to believe that they could continue to mount such attacks without drawing a significant Iranian response. This time proved different: Within a week, Iran began privately signaling to neighbors and foreign diplomats that its patience had reached a limit, and that it would respond with a major strike on Israel — its first ever direct attack on Israeli soil. During the week of April 8, Israel began preparing two major military responses, according to the Israeli officials. The first was a defensive operation to block the expected Iranian attack, coordinated with the U.S. Central Command — its top commander, Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, visited Israel that week — as well as with the British, French and Jordanian militaries. The second was a huge offensive operation to be carried out if the Iranian strike materialized. Initially, Israeli intelligence believed that Iran planned to attack with a “swarm” of large drones and up to 10 ballistic missiles, the Israeli officials said. As the week progressed, that estimate grew to 60 missiles, heightening Israeli desire for a strong counterattack. Israel’s military and political leaders began discussing a counterstrike that could begin as soon as Iran began firing the drones — even before it was known how much damage, if any, they caused. According to one official, the plan was presented to Israel’s war cabinet by the military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, and his Air Force chief, Tomer Bar, early on Friday, April 12 — two days before Iran’s attack. Israel’s intentions changed after Iran attacked, the officials said. The attack was even bigger than expected: With more than 100 ballistic missiles, 170 drones and some 30 cruise missiles, it was one of the largest barrages of this kind in military history. But Israel’s defense, which were coordinated with pilots from the United States, Britain, France and Jordan, took down most of the missiles and drones, and there was only limited damage on the ground, reducing the need for a swift response. And there were questions about whether Israel should risk taking its focus off defense while the assault was still underway, two officials said. The turning point, however, was an early-morning phone call between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Mr. Biden, during which the American president encouraged the Israeli leader to treat the successful defense as a victory that required no further response, according to three Israeli and Western officials, who described those discussions on the condition of anonymity. Mr. Netanyahu emerged from the call opposed to an immediate retaliation, the Israelis said. The following day, the Israeli government began signaling to foreign allies that it still planned to respond, but only in a contained way that fell far short of what it had previously planned, according to one of the senior Western officials. Instead of a broad counterattack that might leave Iran’s leaders believing they had no option but to respond in kind, Israeli officials said, they settled on a plan that they hoped would make a point to Iranian officials without publicly humiliating them. They initially planned the attack for Monday night, the Israeli officials said, pulling out at the last minute amid fears that Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia that has been engaged in a low-level conflict with Israel since October, might significantly increase the intensity of its strikes on northern Israel. Foreign officials continued, without success, to encourage Israel not to respond at all, then signaled their willingness to accept an Israeli attack that left Iran with the option of moving on without losing face, according to an Israeli and a Western official. After Israel finally carried out its attack early on Friday morning, Iranian officials did exactly that — focusing on the small drones rather than the missiles and dismissing their impact. Officials in Tehran also largely avoided blaming Israel for the assault. That, coupled with Israel’s own decision not to claim responsibility for it, helped to reduce the risk of an escalation. |
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Posted: 4/22/2024 12:10:22 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#9]
Translation--Press coverage The moment the occupation bombed the Al-Sahaba building in Gaza City, which led to the death of a Palestinian and 3 injuries
Diversity is our strength
The Israeli military says it remains on high alert on all fronts amid the Passover holiday. "Even during Passover, the IDF continues operational activity and full readiness in all arenas," it says in a statement. In the Gaza Strip, the military says the Nahal Infantry Brigade continues to operate in the Netzarim corridor, calling in airstrikes against Hamas operatives in the area over the past day. In northern Israel, the IDF says it is deployed along the Lebanon and Syrian borders, with "strong defense and with readiness for attack." The military says troops are carrying out ambushes, as well as locating and directing strikes on Hezbollah operatives and sites. In the West Bank, IDF troops are deployed to protect settlements and highways. Overnight, troops detained 13 wanted Palestinians, the military says. The IDF is currently operating in Hebron, at the homes of the two teenager terrorists who carried the car-ramming and attempted shooting attack in Jerusalem this morning. |
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Posted: 4/22/2024 5:56:47 PM EDT
[#10]
In Jerusalem, two terrorists tried to carry out a terrorist attack, which failed due to a jammed machine gun.
First, they crashed their car into a group of people near the synagogue, after which, jumping out of the car, they tried to shoot them. The recording from an external surveillance camera shows that after the collision, one of the terrorists gets out of the car, takes out a machine gun, but cannot fire a shot due to the jammed weapon. According to local police, the terrorists were armed with Carlo assault rifles (a makeshift version of the Carl Gustaf) and an axe. What happened to them next, data varies: some report that they were detained, others report that the attackers were able to escape. This is the moment the TERRORISTS were captured by police. You see how people were clapping in honor of the police, they don't go and lynch them or beat them. That's the difference between us and them. We sanctify life and peace; our enemies sanctify death and terror. Israelis fighting for their freedom: |
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Posted: 4/22/2024 9:42:12 PM EDT
[#11]
 Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 22 April Key Takeaways: Gaza Strip Palestinian militias conducted several attacks targeting the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. Hamas fighters fired sniper rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, and mortars. The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, which is the self-proclaimed military wing of Fatah and aligned with Hamas in the current war, mortared Israeli forces east of Beit Hanoun. These attacks and the IDF’s raids indicate that Palestinian militia cells remain in Beit Hanoun. Israeli forces continued to conduct clearing operations in the central Gaza Strip. The IDF Nahal Brigade (162nd Division) directed an airstrike targeting Palestinian fighters. The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades mortared Israeli forces east of Bureij in the central Strip. West Bank Israeli forces engaged Palestinian fighters in six locations across the West Bank. The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades fired small arms and detonated improvised explosive devices (IED) targeting Israeli forces in the Balata refugee camp and Silat al Dhahr refugee camp in the northern West Bank. Unspecified Palestinian fighters clashed with Israeli forces during a raid near Tubas, Hebron, and Jerusalem. Palestinian media reported that unspecified Palestinian fighters detonated an IED near an Israeli settlement east of Qalqilya. Israeli media reported that violence broke out between Palestinians and Israeli settlers in Burka. Israeli media said that Palestinian and Israeli civilians threw rocks at each other and set a car and building on fire. Palestinian Authority-affiliated media cited local officials who said that Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian village setting fire to a sheep barn and attempting to ignite a house. Two Palestinians rammed Israeli civilians with a car in Jerusalem. The suspects attempted to fire a rudimentary submachine gun at the civilians before fleeing the scene. The Israeli police detained the two Palestinians, who were originally from Hebron. They have relatives who are known members of Hamas’ military wing in the West Bank. Israeli officials criticized US plans to block military aid to an IDF unit due to alleged human rights abuses in the West Bank. Three US sources with knowledge of the issue told Axios that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to announce that the United States will ban US military assistance or training providing for the Netzah Yehuda Battalion, which is an ultra-orthodox IDF unit that operate mostly in the West Bank. Southern Lebanon and Golan Heights Lebanese Hezbollah conducted at least seven attacks from southern Lebanon into northern Israel. Hezbollah fired a salvo of approximately 35 rockets at Ein Zeitim. The IDF shot down a ”suspicious aerial vehicle” near Kiryat Shmona. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant discussed Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah’s attempts to establish a presence in Syria with local IDF commanders during a visit in the Golan Heights. Gallant stated that the IDF is “actively preventing” Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militias from establishing positions along the border. Iraq and Syria Iranian-backed Iraqi militias may have resumed their attack campaign targeting US forces in Iraq and Syria. Unspecified Iranian-backed Iraqi militia fighters launched at least five rockets from Zummar, Ninewa Province, Iraq, targeting US forces at the Rumaylan Landing Zone in Hasakah Province, Syria,. A US official separately told Reuters on April 22 that unspecified Iranian-backed Iraqi militants launched at least two drones targeting US forces at Ain al Asad airbase in Anbar Province, Iraq. Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah typically conducts attacks targeting US forces south of the Euphrates River, such as at Ain al Asad airbase in western Iraq and al Tanf Garrison in southeastern Syria. Other militias, including Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba and Kataib Sayyid al Shuhada, typically conduct attacks targeting US forces north of the Euphrates River. Syrian media reported that the US-led international coalition separately conducted an airstrike targeting a missile launch site in Zummar. Kataib Hezbollah-affiliated social media channels reportedly announced on April 21 that Kataib Hezbollah had resumed attacks targeting US forces in the region. Kataib Hezbollah chose to resume attacks due to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al Sudani’s lack of progress in negotiations to remove US forces from Iraq during Sudani’s recent visit to the United States. Iran Iranian media claimed on April 21 that the IRGC attacked a “secret American base” in Israel’s Negev Desert during Iran’s April 13 missile and drone attack on Israel. IRGC-affiliated media claimed that the US base, named ”Position 512,” maintains radar facilities that monitor missile attacks on Israel. Hardline Iranian parliamentarian and member of Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Javad Karimi Ghodousi implied that if granted the permission, Iran could test its first nuclear weapon within one week.   
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Posted: 4/23/2024 8:58:50 AM EDT
[#12]
Link for articles below
IDF confirms killing of two senior Hezbollah members in Lebanon The IDF confirms the killing of two senior Hezbollah members in Lebanon. Hussein Ali Azkul, a senior member of Hezbollah's air defense array, was killed overnight into Tuesday when his car was struck. Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force senior member Mohammad Khalil Atiyeh was killed in the Western Lebanon region of Arzoun, the IDF's statement added. UN rights chief 'horrified' by mass grave discovered in Gaza hospitals UN rights chief Volker Turk said on Tuesday that he was "horrified" by the destruction of the Nasser and Al Shifa medical facilities in Gaza and reports of mass graves discovered there. Turk, addressing a UN briefing via a spokesperson, also decried Israeli strikes on Gaza in recent days, which he said have killed mostly women and children. He also repeated a warning against a full-scale incursion on Rafah, saying this could lead to "further atrocity crimes." Warehouse in Sderot catches fire after being hit by a Gaza rocket shrapnel The Sderot municipality says that five rockets were launched toward the city from the Gaza Strip. Four of the rockets were intercepted, and the fifth fell in a construction site in the city. A warehouse in the city was hit by a rocket shrapnel and caught fire. Firefighters and emergency teams are at the scene. No casualties reported. Israeli air force strikes two Hamas fire-ready rocket launchers in Gaza The Israeli Air Force struck two fully loaded Hamas rocket launchers in the Gaza Strip overnight into Tuesday, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said in a statement. According to the IDF, army snipers in the central Gaza Strip also managed to killed Hamas members who were sheltering among civilians and that further air force strikes killed terrorists near the al-Boreij refugee camp in the central Strip. IDF says troops launched ‘surprise operation’ Sunday evening in central Gaza corridor. Link The IDF’s Nahal Brigade launched a new pinpoint operation against Hamas in the central Gaza Strip corridor earlier this week, which the military says is continuing amid the Passover holiday. The IDF says the “surprise operation” that began Sunday night is aimed at “deepening the achievements” in the Netzarim corridor. The corridor, built around a road south of Gaza City, enables the IDF to carry out raids in northern and central Gaza while allowing Israel to control access to the north for Palestinians seeking to return after fleeing south. “The forces are carrying out targeted raids and are thwarting terror in the area,” the IDF says in a statement. Nahal troops spotted several gunmen amid the raid, and called in airstrikes by fighter jets against them and the buildings they were spotted operating at, according to the IDF. It adds that secondary explosions seen after the strikes indicate that the buildings were used to store munitions. |
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Posted: 4/23/2024 11:12:04 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#13]
Kind of off-topic, but might be of interest. A Savage War of Peace, a good book about France's war in Algeria from 1954-1962 is on sale as a Kindle Daily Deal for $1.99.
Link to Amazon. The war in Algeria inspired "resistance" movements as well as armies from Argentina to Israel. |
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Posted: 4/23/2024 1:40:17 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#14]
The IDF announces the death of a reservist killed during fighting against Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday. He is named as Sgt. First Class (res.) Salm Alkreshat, 43, from the Bedouin community of Abu Rabia, a tracker in the Gaza Division's Northern Brigade. His death brings the toll of slain troops in the IDF's ground offensive against Hamas to 261.
The IDF's Nahal Brigade launched a new pinpoint operation against Hamas in the central Gaza Strip corridor earlier this week, which the military says is continuing amid the Passover holiday. The IDF says the "surprise operation" that began Sunday night is aimed at "deepening the achievements" in the Netzarim corridor. The corridor, built around a road south of Gaza City, enables the IDF to carry out raids in northern and central Gaza while allowing Israel to control access to the north for Palestinians seeking to return after fleeing south. "The forces are carrying out targeted raids and are thwarting terror in the area," the IDF says in a statement. Nahal troops spotted several gunmen amid the raid, and called in airstrikes by fighter jets against them and the buildings they were spotted operating at, according to the IDF. It adds that secondary explosions seen after the strikes indicate that the buildings were used to store munitions.
Two top Hezbollah operatives were killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon this morning and overnight, the military says. The target of this morning's drone strike in Aadloun, near the coastal city of Tyre, was Hussein Azqul, who the IDF says was a "central terrorist" in Hezbollah's air defense unit. Azqul, according to the IDF, was "heavily involved in the activities of the [air defense unit] and took part in the planning and execution of a variety of terror activities." The military says his death is a "significant blow" to Hezbollah's air defense unit. The overnight strike in southern Lebanon killed Muhammad Attiya, who the IDF says is a member of the aerial unit of Hezbollah's elite Radwan force. Attiya was "involved in the preparation and execution of terrorist attacks" against Israel, the IDF says. Hezbollah confirmed the deaths of both Azqul and Attiya, saying they were killed "on the road to Jerusalem," its term for operatives slain in Israeli strikes. Their deaths bring the terror group's toll amid the war in Gaza to 287.
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Posted: 4/23/2024 2:05:07 PM EDT
[#15]
Iran’s Nuclear Calculus Has Now Become More Dangerous
Highpoints Essay | Iran’s Nuclear Calculus Has Now Become More Dangerous The rising tensions between Iran and Israel have provoked understandable foreboding. The Islamic Republic seeks revenge for its dead, while Israel needs to restore deterrence. If Israel fails to reestablish sufficient deterrence, it must prepare for a future filled with air-raid warnings and Israelis continuously in bomb shelters. When the mullahs launched their atomic-weapon and ballistic-missile programs.. In those early days...a hatred of Israel and the regime’s fierce antisemitism weren’t significant drivers. That has surely changed. Iran’s theocratic regime has to stand as the most successful imperial power in the Middle East since the British Empire....both managed to patrol large swaths of territory by relying on proxies—imperialism on the cheap. The clerical elite learned early that they could inflict pain on their adversaries with a measure of impunity if they hid behind their proxies. Hezbollah’s bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983 provoked America’s withdrawal from Lebanon. Shiite Islamists started the cult of suicide bombing. Civil wars and ethnic and sectarian conflicts...provide. Iran with a bonanza of opportunities. Once civil war broke out in Syria, Tehran marshaled approximately 80,000 militiamen from across the region to rescue the Assad dynasty. Together they slaughtered their way to victory. Ever since, Israel has been waging an unending air campaign in Syria to stop Tehran from turning the country into another missile platform. In Yemen, the Houthi proved eager surrogates of Tehran. They defeated the combined forces of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and their Yemeni allies. Through all of this mischief, Iran’s territory remained immune from retaliation as its embattled adversaries kept insisting that they could not expand the conflict. Iran’s clerical regime celebrated Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Whether or not Khamenei gave the green light for the attack, his regime’s extensive military aid to Hamas was explicitly aimed to allow it to wage a more effective war against their mutual enemy. Outside of Gaza, the Islamic Republic did what it needed to do. Hezbollah shot some of its rockets at Israel’s north, and the Houthis disrupted maritime traffic in the Persian Gulf. Tehran has been sending weapons to the West Bank. When Iran’s Shiite protégés in Iraq killed three American servicemen in Jordan, the Biden administration spared Iran and bombed its agents. Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has...decided to make Iran pay a higher price for its machinations. The scale of Iran’s retaliation surprised many. The Iran-Israel duel had been a confrontation with understood limits: Iran relied on terrorism and Israel on cyberattacks and targeted assassinations. Both sides exempted each other’s territory from direct assault. All that changed when Tehran shot hundreds of projectiles at Israel on April 14, followed by Israel’s retaliatory attack on targets in Iran on April 18. 85-year-old Khamenei is trying to stage-manage his succession. The country’s entire elite is changing..replaced by more ideologically strident and parochial men drawn from the ranks of the Revolutionary Guard and conservative religious circles. All of these people are more bellicose toward both Israel and the U.S. Khamenei must wonder now if his situation would be better if Iran had already tested a nuclear weapon. Would Israel have attacked one of his cities if it had to think about the prospect of a mushroom cloud over Tel Aviv? As successful as the axis of resistance has been for Iran, it has not checked offensive Israeli actions. A combination of Islamist proxies and an Iranian bomb, however, might well do the trick. There are no technical barriers [to making a bomb] left that Iran’s engineers cannot overcome. Ali Akbar Salehi, the former head of the country’s Atomic Energy Organization and the regime’s most well-credentialed nuclear engineer, recently remarkedThe Islamic Republic obviously doesn’t fear Israel’s nuclear arsenal. The same can’t be said for the reverse. With the ultimate weapon behind it, Iran would be not just a nation of consequence but a regime too dangerous to fail for those Americans still dreaming of regime change. Nuclear weapons don’t change everything, but they change a lot. In the past seven months, America and Israel have been shocked by two events that were once unthinkable: the attacks of Oct. 7, Israel’s mini-Holocaust, and Iran’s missile attack. The next surprise may well be an unexplained seismic tremor in one of Iran’s deserts. The elderly Khamenei could then look upon Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s massive mausoleum and say with all humility, “I have surpassed thee.” Entire article in spoiler below Click To View Spoiler |
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Posted: 4/23/2024 4:26:00 PM EDT
[#16]
Hezbollah launched its deepest attack inside Israel since Oct 7th Link--Daily Telegraph
Hezbollah has launched a series of drone strikes against Israeli military bases, in its deepest attack inside Israel since the start of the war in Gaza. The “combined air attack using decoy and explosive drones” targeted two Israeli bases north of the city of Acre, which sits on Israel’s Mediterranean coast, 12 miles from the Lebanese border, the militant group said in a statement. The strikes came “in response” to the killing of one of the group’s senior operatives, Hussein Azqul, earlier today, whom Israel described as a “central terrorist”. Sirens rang out in Acre and the nearby city Nahariya late this morning, with the Israel Defences forces (IDF) reporting it had destroyed three “suspicious aerial targets” in total off the country’s coast. Footage of the strikes posted on social media appears to show objects flying through the air above the sea before they disappear in a series of small plumes of smoke. |
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Posted: 4/23/2024 5:18:01 PM EDT
[#17]
Pentagon says construction of pier off coast of Gaza to begin ‘very soon’ Link
The United States will begin construction “very soon” on a pier to boost deliveries of desperately needed aid to Gaza, the Pentagon says Tuesday. “All the necessary vessels are within the Mediterranean region and standing by,” Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder tells journalists, referring to the watercraft carrying equipment for the pier project. “We are positioned to begin construction very soon,” Ryder adds. The facility will consist of an offshore platform for the transfer of aid from larger to smaller vessels, and a pier to bring it ashore. Plans for a pier off the coast of the Palestinian enclave were first announced by US President Joe Biden in early March as aid deliveries were held up on the ground. US officials have said the effort will not involve “boots on the ground” in Gaza, but American troops will come close to the war-torn territory as they construct the pier, for which Israeli forces are to provide security on the ground. |
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Posted: 4/23/2024 6:34:10 PM EDT
[#18]
Beautiful! Jewish community in the Philippines sings Israel's national anthem 'HaTikva'
A barrage of some 35 rockets were fired from Lebanon at the northern community of Ein Zeitim The attack set off sirens in Safed and nearby towns. The IDF says there are no injuries in the attack, and that troops shelled the launch sites: Two Hamas rocket launching positions in the southern Gaza Strip were struck by Israeli fighter jets overnight: Overnight, Israeli fighter jets struck a building used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon's Yaroun, alongside another site Two top Hezbollah terrorist were killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon this morning and overnight |
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Posted: 4/23/2024 8:11:08 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#19]
How do the locals and other Arab countries see Biden's pier?
Iranian TV, among others, thinks it's a plot to ship the people in Gaza to Cyprus and from there to Europe and the US. Others think it's a plot to steal oil and natural gas. Palestinians have written poems telling people to avoid the pier--link here. Continue The Storm "O people of Gaza, surround [the enemy] and kindle/A storm in every city/Do not agree to the sea pier [i.e., the temporary U.S. port]/Or to planes that do not help you fight/But only force food upon you. Cartoon showing how some see the pier:  A Palestinian wrote the following in a Qatari newspaper--link to Arabic language site which you can translate into English. Mar 09, 2024 US President Biden announced the construction of a temporary naval pier off the coast of Gaza to receive aid ships coming from the Cypriot port of Larnaca, and the US army will carry out this task. One missile fired by the resistance in the Gaza Strip at this American pier (temporary port), or at the ships coming to it, will lead to its complete destruction, if the goal of its construction was to end the authority of Hamas and turn the Palestinian incubator against it, and to displace the people of the Gaza Strip to Europe in implementation of Netanyahu’s plan. These missiles are available in abundance, in addition to the frogmen's weapon, which is fully prepared to destroy this pier, and there are many precedents for it in this regard. If this expertise does not exist among the resistance factions in the Gaza Strip, it can be imported from Yemen, which is very happy these days, whose naval forces succeeded in closing Bab al-Mandab, and whose missiles and drones attacked American military ships in the Red and Arab Bahrain. Sending our guys to build and operate this unnecessary pier has the potential to make the Marine barracks bombing of 1983 look like Romper Room. |
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Posted: 4/23/2024 10:38:11 PM EDT
[#20]
 Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 23 April Key Takeaways: Gaza Strip Israeli forces continued to conduct targeted raids in the northern Gaza Strip. Elements of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Kfir Brigade (99th Infantry Division) launched a raid targeting military infrastructure and tunnel shafts in Beit Hanoun. The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades—the self-proclaimed military wing of Fatah—separately fired “machine guns” and rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) at Israeli forces. The Wall Street Journa,l citing an unidentified Israeli defense official, said that there are “several thousand” Palestinian fighters remaining in the northern Gaza Strip. The IDF issued new evacuation orders for Beit Lahia on April 23 ahead of Israeli operations there. Israeli forces continued to conduct clearing operations around the Netzarim corridor. The IDF Nahal Brigade (162nd Division) ambushed and killed several Palestinian fighters. Thhe Nahal Brigade directed airstrikes targeting Palestinian fighters and military infrastructure. The IDF reported that multiple secondary explosions occurred while destroying Palestinian military infrastructure. The IDF 215th Artillery Brigade (162nd Division) and Air Force targeted Palestinian fighters near a civilian shelter near al Bureij. Palestinian militias have mortared Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip at least four times in the northern and central Gaza Strip since April 22. The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades mortared Israeli forces in and around Jabalia. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) mortared Israeli forces west and southwest of Gaza City. An Israeli security official reiterated to the Wall Street Journal the Israeli intent to conduct a clearing operation in Rafah. Palestinian militias conducted at least five indirect fire attacks from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel on April 23. PIJ conducted two rocket attacks, including a combined attack with the Ansar Brigades, targeting Sderot. The al Aqsa Martyrs‘ Brigades and National Resistance Brigades conducted a combined rocket attack targeting the IDF Zikim base. Israeli forces targeted and destroyed indirect fire launch sites in Beit Lahia and Gaza City. The IDF Air Force also destroyed two indirect fire launch sites in the southern Gaza Strip West Bank The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades fired small arms and detonated improvised explosive devices (IED) in separate attacks in Jericho and Nablus. Israeli forces separately engaged Palestinian fighters during a raid near Jenin. Southern Lebanon and Golan Heights Lebanese Hezbollah has conducted at least six attacks from southern Lebanon into northern Israel. The IDF intercepted a Hezbollah drone near Acre on April 23. Hezbollah said that the drone was targeting the IDF Golani Brigade’s headquarters north of Acre. Israeli Army Radio said that this drone interception near Acre was the first since December 2023. The IDF conducted airstrikes targeting unspecified Hezbollah "military infrastructure” in Yaron, Aita al Shaab, and Blida. The IDF reported separately on April 23 that it killed three Hezbollah officers involved in air defense and the drone unit in Hezbollah’s Radwan forces. Jordan Abu Obeida called on the “Jordanian masses” to escalate their actions and “raise their voice” against Israel. Jordanian demonstrators in Amman chanted references to Abu Obeida shortly after Hamas released his speech. A prominent Iranian-backed Iraqi militia threatened to create and arm a new 12,000-man Iranian proxy in Jordan. Tehran and its regional allies seek to expand their position in Jordan because Jordanian territory could grant them land routes through which to transfer materiel into the West Bank as well as a possible opportunity to disrupt Israeli overland trade through the kingdom. An active and well-armed Iranian-backed militia based out of Jordan would also significantly advance Iran’s military encirclement of Israel. Iraq US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed on April 22 that an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia launched at least five rockets targeting US forces at the Rumaylan Landing Zone in northeastern Syria. Miller described the attack as “especially troubling” given that it occurred hours after Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al Sudani returned from the United States to Iraq. The Iraqi federal government concluded on April 23 that the recent explosion at a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) headquarters originated from the headquarters' “ammunition and explosives storage area.” Iran Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia, to attend the 12th Russian International Security Summit. Hardline Iranian parliamentarian Javad Karimi Ghodousi tweeted on April 23 that Iran would test a 12,000 km-range missile within one week if Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei grants permission.   
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Posted: 4/24/2024 8:28:28 AM EDT
[#21]
Link for posts below
Israel-Hamas War Day 201 ■ A Palestinian woman was shot dead after attempting to stab soldiers at an intersection near Hebron. ■ A senior Hamas official said that the organization offered to release 40 hostages in the first phase of a hostage release deal, not 20 as was reported in Israel. ■ The IDF attacked numerous Hezbollah targets in southern Israel throughout the morning. Following a direct hit by anti-tank missiles to two homes in northern Israel, the army attacked dozens more targets. ■ Five hundred bereaved families who lost loved ones in the October 7 attacks asked Defense Minister Gallant to allow them to speak at Memorial Day ceremonies, instead of speeches by government and Knesset representatives. ■ Army data shows 10 Israeli soldiers were wounded in fighting on Tuesday, two seriously. ■ Israeli air force planes attacked rocket launchers located in a humanitarian aid area in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the IDF. ■ Germany plans to resume cooperation with UNRWA, the foreign and development ministries said, after suspending funding following allegations of staff involvement in the October 7 attacks. ■ The IDF announced that it has mobilized two reserve brigades to return to southern Gaza, to "continue the mission of defense and attack in the Gaza Strip." Israel intensifies strikes in central, southern Gaza; reports say most severe attacks in weeks Israeli strikes intensified across Gaza on Tuesday in some of the heaviest shelling in weeks, residents said. Strikes by air and shelling from tanks on the ground were also reported in central and southern areas of the Gaza Strip in what residents said late on Tuesday were almost 24 hours of non-stop bombardments. Tuesday's bombardment came after incoming rocket alerts sounded in two southern Israeli border towns, although no casualties were reported. The armed wing of Islamic Jihad, a group allied to Hamas, claimed responsibility for the attacks on Sderot and Nir Am, indicating fighters were still able to launch rockets almost 200 days into the war. Shelling was intense east of Beit Hanoun and Jabalya and continued in areas such as Zeitun, one of Gaza City's oldest suburbs, with residents reporting at least 10 strikes in a matter of seconds along the main road. "The bombing from tanks and planes didn't stop," said Um Mohammad, 53, a mother of six living 700 meters from Zeitun. "I had to gather with my children and my sisters who came to shelter with me in one place and pray for our lives as the house kept shaking," she told Reuters via a chat app.
The Marom HaGalil council said that two houses were damaged in Avivim as a result of anti-tank missiles, and a trailer caught on fire. The IDF said it attacked the source of the fire. The army also announced that five rockets were detected from Lebanon towards Netu'a and Shtula, which fell in open areas. IDF mobilizes two reserve brigades to return to operation in southern Gaza The IDF announced that it has mobilized two reserve brigades to return to southern Gaza, to "continue the mission of defense and attack in the Gaza Strip." The brigades have been operating on the northern border until now, and have been preparing to enter Gaza for the last few weeks. IDF attacked rocket launchers located in humanitarian aid areas in southern Gaza Israeli air force planes attacked rocket launchers located in a humanitarian aid area in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the IDF. The army also said that the launch positions were loaded before they were attacked, and were only 15 meters away from a tent area. According to the IDF's announcement, the air force attacked more than 50 Hamas military targets in the last day. Ground forces continue to operate in the central Gaza Strip, and soldiers killed operatives, destroyed an operational shaft used by Hamas, and other infrastructure.
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Posted: 4/24/2024 9:27:37 PM EDT
[#22]
  Key Takeaways: Gaza Strip Local Palestinian sources reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) withdrew from Beit Hanoun. EIKfir Brigade (99th Infantry Division) previously raided Palestinian military infrastructure there, including tunnel shafts. The IDF did not comment on its activity in the northern Gaza Strip on April 24. A Palestinian journalist reported that Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire targeted northern and central Beit Lahia overnight. The IDF issued new evacuation orders for the area on April 23, stating that Israeli forces would target Palestinian military infrastructure and “subversive elements” in the area. Israeli forces continued to conduct clearing operations around the Netzarim corridor. The IDF Nahal Brigade (162nd Division) killed several Palestinian fighters and destroyed military infrastructure. Israeli aircraft separately struck a tunnel shaft and several militia sites in the central Gaza Strip. Hamas fighters mortared Israeli forces stationed on the Netzarim corridor in two separate attacks on April 24. Two IDF reservist brigades completed training and deployed to the Gaza Strip on April 24. An Israeli Army Radio reported on that the IDF 2nd Carmeli Brigade and 679th Armored Brigade would secure the Netzarim corridor and the temporary US-built pier in the central Gaza Strip. The IDF Gaza Division directed airstrikes on over 50 targets across the Gaza Strip over the past day. Top Israeli military and intelligence officials met with Egyptian officials in Cario on April 24 about an Israeli operation into Rafah. The Israeli delegation included Shin Bet head Ronen Bar and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi who last met with Egyptian intelligence officials in mid-February. Egyptian officials have spoken to international media about Israeli’s plans for Rafah. Israel’s intention is to clear and station Israeli guards along the 14-kilometer-long strip of land between Egypt and the Gaza Strip known as the Philadelphi corridor. Several Israeli defense and security officials told international media outlets on April 24 that the IDF is fully prepared for a clearing operation into Rafah. An Israeli defense official said that the IDF is only waiting for approval from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli officials told Axios that over 250,000 civilians have left Rafah since the IDF concluded its clearing operations around Khan Younis on April 7. The Palestinian Mujahadeen Movement conducted three rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip targeting southern Israel on April 24. West Bank Israeli forces have engaged Palestinian fighters in at least five locations across the West Bank. PIJ fighters fired small arms and detonated improvised explosive devices (IED) in Tulkarm and Nour Shams refugee camp. The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades clashed with Israeli forces overnight in Beit Ummar. Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades fighters also fired small arms and detonated IEDs in Askar refugee camp on April 24. The IDF reported that Israeli forces killed a Palestinian woman who tried to stab Israeli soldiers at a military checkpoint in Kiryat Arba, Hebron. Southern Lebanon and Golan Heights The IDF Air Force conducted a “broad attack” on approximately 40 Lebanese Hezbollah targets around Aita al Shaab, near the Israel-Lebanon border, on April 24. The IDF targeted Hezbollah storage facilities, weapons depots, and unspecified militia infrastructure. The IDF stated the attack was part of the ongoing Israeli effort to destroy Hezbollah’s infrastructure along the border as Hezbollah makes ”extensive use” of the Aita al Shaab area to organize and conduct attacks into Israel. Hezbollah said it conducted four attacks into northern Israel in retaliation for the Israeli airstrikes. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that the IDF has killed “half of Hezbollah’s commanders in southern Lebanon”, adding that the remaining Hezbollah commanders have gone into hiding in other regions. A Lebanese official “close to Hezbollah” refuted Gallant’s estimate to the Washington Post on April 24 and stated that the number of Hezbollah commanders killed by the IDF could be “counted on one hand.” Iraq Iranian-backed Iraqi militias appear divided on whether to resume attacks targeting US forces. Emirati state media reported that Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah (KH) is advocating for the resumption of attacks but that some militia leaders disagree with KH, citing unidentified Iraqi political and security sources. Emirati state media furthermore reported that the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which is a coalition of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias, did not approve the recent attacks on US forces on April 21 and 22, citing unidentified sources “close to Baghdad and [the Iranian-backed Iraqi] armed factions.” Iran Iran is continuing to collaborate with other revisionist countries, such as Russia and North Korea, to advance their mutual agendas and undermine the West.    
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Posted: 4/24/2024 10:39:49 PM EDT
[#23]
Hamas Airs Video Showing Israeli-American Hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin in Gaza
Hamas released a video on Wednesday showing Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin who was kidnapped to Gaza on October 7 - the first sign of life from his time in captivity. Goldberg-Polin had attended the Nova festival at Kibbutz Re'im with friends and sought refuge in a shelter when Hamas stormed the outdoor rave. He sustained serious wounds and is seen in the video with an amputated arm.
Translation--Prisoner of the Resistance (Hirsh Goldberg Bolan - 24 years old) He sends a strong message to the Prime Minister of the occupation government and the Ministry of War The occupation media prevented the distribution of the video He doesn't want the public to see him What do you think, do you have the ability to spread it strongly? Entire article in spoiler Click To View Spoiler Link for articles below here. Houthis say they attacked American and Israeli ships; first attack in over two weeks The Houthis have attacked what they said were two American ships and an Israeli vessel, the group's military spokesperson said on Wednesday, the first such attack in more than two weeks. The Iran-aligned group said it targeted the U.S. ship Maersk Yorktown, an American destroyer in the Gulf of Aden and Israeli ship MSC Veracruz in the Indian Ocean, the spokesperson, Yahya Sarea, said in a televised speech. "The Yemeni armed forces confirm they will continue to prevent Israeli navigation or any navigation heading to the ports of occupied Palestine in the Red and Arabian Seas, as well as in the Indian Ocean," Sarea said on Wednesday. Separately, British maritime security firm Ambrey said earlier on Wednesday that it was aware of an incident southwest of the port city of Aden, an area where the Houthis often target ships they say are linked to Israel or the United States. The vessel reported an "explosion in the water" approximately 72 nautical miles east-southeast of Djibouti, an updated advisory from Ambrey said IDF, Shin Bet chiefs visit Cairo to discuss possible Rafah operation The Israeli army's Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi visited Cairo, Egypt on Wednesday along with Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar, where they met senior intelligence officers in the Egyptian army to discuss Israel's plans for continued fighting in Gaza and efforts to renew negotiations to secure a hostage deal. The two Israeli officials also discussed Israel's operational plans to enter Rafah, in order to try and reduce the Egyptians' objections to Israel's plan to enter Gaza's southernmost area bordering Egypt. The government in Cairo worries that an Israeli entry into Rafah will lead to an influx of Palestinian refugees into its territory, which lead them to pressure the U.S. to halt any Israeli entry into the area. Israel now seeks to coordinate the military operation in Rafah with Egypt and alleviate fears of refugees entering into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula |
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Posted: 4/24/2024 10:50:21 PM EDT
[#24]
Misinformation is circulating regarding a mass grave that was discovered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. The grave in question was dug — by Gazans — a few months ago. This fact is corroborated by social media documentation uploaded by Gazans at the time of the burial, as seen in the video below. Any attempt to blame Israel for burying civilians in mass graves is categorically false and a mere example of a disinformation campaign aimed at delegitimizing Israel.
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Posted: 4/25/2024 10:22:26 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#25]
Link to articles below
Asharq Al-Awsat: Iran decreasing presence in Syria, to be replaced with Hezbollah and Iraqi militias Iranian forces have pulled out of bases in Damascus and southern Syria, and will potentially be replaced by Iraqi militants, according to a report by Asharq Al-Awsat. The report quotes a source close to the Lebanon-based Hezbollah, who said the group's forces, along wih an Iraqi presence, have replaced the Iranians in areas around Damascus, Daraa, and Quneitra. The report adds that Iran suspects that Syrian security officers were the cause of leaks that led to a series of assassinations of Revolutionary Guards officials, including that of Mohammad Reza Zahedi earlier in April. Greek military ship intercepts two Houthi drones in the Red Sea A Greek military vessel serving in the European Union's naval mission in the Red Sea intercepted two drones launched by Yemen's Houthi militants towards a commercial ship, officials at the Greek Defense Ministry said on Thursday. "On Thursday morning Greek frigate Hydra, while it was escorting a merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden, fired at two drones," an official told Reuters. "It destroyed one while the second moved away," he added. Another defense official confirmed the details of the incident. Greece has supplied a frigate to the EU's mission, dubbed Aspides, that launched in February to help protect the key maritime trade route from drone and missile attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militia, who say they are targeting commercial ships in retaliation for Israel's war on Gaza. Egypt warns of 'catastrophic consequences' as Rafah offensive looms Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi on Thursday reiterated his country's firm stance against the displacement of Palestinians from the neighboring Gaza Strip as Israel prepares for an impending military operation in Rafah. Cairo is worried that a planned Israeli push into the border city of Rafah, the last remaining Hamas stronghold in Gaza, would trigger a mass exodus into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. "Egypt has adopted a clear stance since the first minute [of the war] totally rejecting the forced migration of Palestinians from their lands to Sinai or any other place in order to preserve the Palestinian cause from liquidation and safeguard Egypt's national security," al-Sissi said in a televised address. IDF: Nine soldiers wounded in combat since Wednesday outside the Gaza Strip Hamas' negotiations representative: Israel plans to take over 20 percent of Gaza Strip Khalil Al-Hayya, who represents Hamas in negotiations for a cease-fire and hostage deal, has said that Israel presented to the mediating countries maps that show it intends to take over twenty percent of the Gaza Strip when the war ends. In an interview to Asharq Al-Awsat in Istanbul, the top Hamas official claimed that Israel is seeking to continue to rule the main road that crosses the Strip, and hold territories about half a mile north and east of it, along with several areas in Khan Yunis and Rafah. Hamas official says group would lay down its weapons if a two-state solution is implemented A top Hamas political official told The Associated Press the Islamic militant group is willing to agree to a truce of five years or more with Israel and that it would lay down its weapons and convert into a political party if an independent Palestinian state is established along pre-1967 borders. The comments by Khalil al-Hayya in an interview Wednesday came amid a stalemate in months of cease-fire talks. The suggestion that Hamas would disarm appeared to be a significant concession by the militant group officially committed to Israel's destruction. But it's unlikely Israel would consider such a scenario. It has vowed to crush Hamas following the deadly October 7 attacks that triggered the war, and its current leadership is adamantly opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state on lands Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war. Al-Hayya, a high-ranking Hamas official who has represented the Palestinian militants in negotiations for a cease-fire and hostage exchange, struck a sometimes defiant and other times conciliatory tone. Speaking to the AP in Istanbul, Al-Hayya said Hamas wants to join the Palestine Liberation Organization, headed by the rival Fatah faction, to form a unified government for Gaza and the West Bank. He said Hamas would accept "a fully sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the return of Palestinian refugees in accordance with the international resolutions," along Israel's pre-1967 borders. If that happens, he said, the group's military wing would dissolve.
The IDF's Nahal Brigade has been withdrawn from the Gaza Strip in order for it to prepare with the rest of the 162nd Division for future operations, including Israel's looming offensive in Rafah. In the past three months, Nahal had operated in the Netzarim corridor, which crosses Gaza from the Be'eri area in southern Israel to the Strip's coast. The corridor, built around a road south of Gaza City, enables the IDF to carry out raids in northern and central Gaza while allowing Israel to control access to the north for Palestinians seeking to return after fleeing south. It also enables Israel to coordinate deliveries of humanitarian aid directly to northern Gaza. The IDF says the road is 6.8 kilometers long, and takes just seven minutes to cross it. In the corridor, the IDF built three forward operating bases, which have enabled dozens of pinpoint raids to be carried out in northern and central Gaza, the military says. Nahal is being replaced by two reserve brigades in central Gaza, the 679th "Yiftah" Armored Brigade and the 2nd "Carmeli" Infantry Brigade. The brigade will now be given time for R&R, training, and going over plans for future offensives in Gaza. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 11:07:59 AM EDT
[#26]
Update 4/25
An under-construction pier for a U.S.-led project to bring aid into the Gaza Strip has come under fire, forcing U.N. officials to take shelter there, Israeli and U.N. officials said. No militant group immediately claimed responsibility for the assault, which the Israelis described as a mortar shell attack. Authorities said that no one was wounded. The attack marks a shaky start to the construction of the pier, a project that the U.S. is spearheading to surge humanitarian aid into Gaza. A Hamas official told The Associated Press that the militant group will resist any foreign military presence involved with the port project. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 6:34:38 PM EDT
[#27]
Iran and its
Interpol Issues Warrant Against Iranian Minister for Involvement in Argentina Attack Link Argentina's Court of Cassation deemed Iran and Hezbollah responsible for the bombing in Buenos Aires that leveled the community center, killing 85 people, wounding 300 and devastating Latin America's biggest Jewish community. The court said the attack came in retaliation for Argentina reneging on a nuclear cooperation deal with Tehran. Entire article in quote box An Interpol arrest warrant has been issued against Ahmad Vahidi, the current interior minister of Iran who previously served in the Revolutionary Guard's Quds Force, due to his involvement in the 1994 truck bomb attack on a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people. Interpol approved the Argentine foreign ministry's request for a red notice, given in order to seek the location and arrest a wanted person, according to the international policing organization. The red notice states that Vahidi is wanted for aggravated murder and damages. Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the move, calling it "an illegal demand by some Argentine judges." Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani further stated that "this demand is based on lies and fabrications." However, the Foreign Ministry's statement didn't include specific mentions of Vahidi. The deadly incident, commonly known as the AMIA bombing, took place in July 1994. Earlier this month, an Argentinian court concluded that Iran had planned the attack and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, had executed the plans. In a ruling obtained by The Associated Press, Argentina's Court of Cassation deemed Iran and Hezbollah responsible for the bombing in Buenos Aires that leveled the community center, killing 85 people, wounding 300 and devastating Latin America's biggest Jewish community. The court said the attack came in retaliation for Argentina reneging on a nuclear cooperation deal with Tehran. Alleging Iran's "political and strategic" role in the bombing, the Argentine court paved the way for victims' families to bring lawsuits against the Islamic Republic. In the past three decades, Iran has not turned over citizens convicted in Argentina. Interpol arrest warrants have led nowhere. The court singled out top Iranian officials and paramilitary Revolutionary Guard commanders in its determination that Iran carried out the bombings in response to Argentina scrapping three contracts that would have provided Tehran with nuclear technology in the mid-1980s. Its conclusions were based on confidential intelligence reports. |
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Posted: 4/25/2024 9:38:33 PM EDT
[#28]
 Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 25 April Key Takeaways: Gaza Strip Unspecified fighters targeted the humanitarian pier in the central Gaza Strip that is meant to distribute aid to the northern Strip. The militants fired mortars, the rounds struck engineering equipment close to the pier. Hamas Political Bureau Deputy Chairman Khalil al Hayya separately implied that Hamas would attack any non-Palestinian presence in the Gaza Strip “at sea or on land.” The US-built pier will be off the coast of the Gaza Strip. The decision by Hamas and other Palestinian militia factions to target the pier will further constrict international aid organizations’ ability to distribute aid in the Gaza Strip. The IDF Nahal Brigade transferred responsibility for its area of operations in the Netzarim corridor to the IDF 2nd Reservist Infantry Brigade and 679th Reservist Armored Brigade on April 25. The Nahal Brigade will leave the Gaza Strip and rest to prepare for Israeli operations in Rafah. The 215th Artillery Brigade and IDF Air Force struck a Hamas cell in Nuseirat. The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades claimed one mortar attack targeting Israeli forces in an unspecified area east of Khan Younis. The Nahal Brigade directed an airstrike targeting two fighters who had attempted to launch rockets or mortars into Israel. The strike also targeted a nearby weapons storage facility. The IDF Air Force struck unspecified Palestinian militia infrastructure along the central Gazan coast after Palestinian militias shelled Israeli forces in the Netzarim corridor. The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades claimed that its fighters mortared Israeli forces operating in an unspecified area of the Netzarim corridor. Hamas fighters mortared an IDF “surveillance site” in an unspecified location east of Juhor ad Dik. Hamas claimed its fighters ambushed Israeli forces in al Mughraqa, south of the Netzarim corridor, using multiple improvised explosive devices (IED), including one IED made from a dud F16 missile that had been recovered by Hamas forces. Palestinian fighters conducted one indirect fire attack from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel on April 25. West Bank Israeli forces have engaged Palestinian fighters in at least four locations across the West Bank. The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades fighters fired small arms and detonated IEDs targeting Israeli forces during Israeli operations in Tulkarm. Israeli forces detained eight individuals and confiscated weapons across the West Bank during overnight raids. Southern Lebanon and Golan Heights Lebanese Hezbollah has conducted at least three attacks from southern Lebanon into northern Israel. Syrian media reported that the IDF conducted an airstrike on April 24 that targeted a Syrian Arab Army (SAA) building near al Rawadi, Quneitra Province, along the Syrian border with the Golan Heights. The IDF dropped leaflets over Quneitra on April 25 that said that the IDF conducted the strike on the SAA building because the SAA was present in the demilitarized zone between the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights and Syria. Yemen The Houthis claimed drone and ballistic missile attacks targeting a US destroyer, a US-flagged commercial vessel, and a Portuguese-flagged commercial vessel. US CENTCOM reported that it intercepted a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile targeting the US-flagged MV Maersk Yorktown. The Houthis claimed that they launched an unspecified attack targeting the Portuguese-flagged MSC Veracruz in the Indian Ocean. CENTCOM also reported that it destroyed four Houthi drones over Houthi-controlled Yemen. The Houthis had not claimed an attack since April 10 prior to these attacks. A Greek frigate operating in the Gulf of Aden as part of the European-led Operation Aspides engaged two Houthi drones on April 25. The frigate destroyed one of the two drones on April 25. The second drone retreated. The UK Maritime Trade Operations said that there was an explosion close to an unspecified commercial vessel 15km southwest of Aden on April 25. Iraq The Iranian-linked Iraqi National Security Adviser discussed intelligence cooperation and “the situation in the Middle East” during two separate meetings with senior Russian officials in St. Petersburg. Russia may be setting conditions to supplant the United States as a security partner in Iraq in anticipation of the United States possibly reducing its military presence there. Iran The Iranian judiciary confirmed the death sentence of 33-year-old dissident Iranian rapper Tomaj Salehi on April 25.    
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Posted: 4/26/2024 5:15:20 PM EDT
[#29]
The IDF launched a new pinpoint operation in northern Gaza's Beit Hanoun just before Passover began:
The IDF is readying to deploy two reserve brigades to the Gaza Strip, under the 99th Division. A rocket launcher in southern Lebanon's Tayr Harfa was struck by the Israeli Air Force shortly after it was used in an attack on the northern community of Shomera The Hezbollah rocket attack on Margaliot caused damage to a chicken coop, as well as a power outage. |
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Posted: 4/26/2024 5:37:53 PM EDT
[#30]
Lots of people assume Lebanon means Hezbollah--Hamas has a presence there as well. Al-Arouri, chief of Hamas in the West Bank was killed in Beirut in January. In December, a Hamas rocket team that had a Turkish national as a member was wiped out in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon.
al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya is a terrorist group in Lebanon affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. Sort of like a 2nd cousin to Hamas.
A senior member of the al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya terror group was killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon earlier today, the IDF says. Mosab Khalaf, according to the IDF, "led and advanced many attacks" from Lebanon against Israeli targets, mostly in the Mount Dov area. The IDF says Khalaf was also coordinating attacks with Hamas's Lebanon branch. Khalaf was struck while driving on a highway near the town of Meidoun, some 20 kilometers from the Israeli border. The IDF says his "elimination was carried out to cause a blow to the terror organization's abilities to advance and carry out terror acts that it has planned recently against the State of Israel in the northern border area."
The Middle East: What Has Changed This Year and What Should Change? Dr. Yoel Guzansky, an INSS researcher, writes: he war in Gaza began as Arab countries were strengthening their economic and diplomatic ties with Turkey and Iran. The motives behind this détente remain unchanged, with a tactical need to reduce tensions and focus on domestic affairs. The war further justified the rapprochement, as it prevented potential harm to the regional players. As Israel’s isolation in the region increases following the war, the rest of the region is strengthening their ties. As a result, these Arab countries have chosen to remain neutral and not take sides in the war, especially as long as Hamas has not been defeated. Their aim is to dismantle Hamas in order to undermine the Iranian axis and the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood. However, they fear the potential increase in unrest and regional instability. These regimes are encouraged by the strong support the United States provides to Israel and hope for a similar response if they come under attack. Just as the “pragmatic” Arab countries view détente as strategically beneficial, they also maintain relations with Israel, despite the perceived decline in Israel’s “equity” and its diminished security and political power compared to the past. The calls from the Arab street to sever relations with Israel have also led these countries to distance themselves from Israel and show solidarity with the Palestinians. However, despite the fear of unrest, which could lead to destabilization, Saudi Arabia is keeping the door open for a conditional normalization with Israel, as the Saudis don’t want to be seen by the United States as rejecting peace and are also seeking various incentives in return. Before October 7, Israel almost had an agreement with Saudi Arabia. Similar to the regional détente, the motivations of the parties involved in normalization have remained the same. What has changed since the war is the price that the parties are required to pay—Israel in terms of significant concessions to the Palestinians, and the Saudis in their involvement in managing and reconstructing Gaza. It’s in Israel’s interest to include a normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia as part of the Saudi involvement in the Palestinian arena and its commitment to managing and rehabilitating the Gaza Strip. Israel should change its current approach and seize this opportunity.
Hamas is at a breaking point. When examining the Palestinian discourse on social media six months after the outbreak of the “Swords of Iron” war, one trend stands out. While Hamas’s ideology (i.e., the use of violent struggle against Israel to liberate Palestine) is at the peak of its popularity in Gaza and the West Bank, a different trend is apparent regarding the actual control of Hamas and the other resistance organizations. Palestinians in Gaza refer to three issues that they believe are a result of this reverse trend: 1. An authentic and openly critical discourse about Hamas—Gazans are engaging in discernable criticism of Hamas that wasn’t present in the first six months of the war. This suggests that fear of the organization has diminished due to its weakening and absence from the public domain. 2. A drop in prices—Gazans in the north, center, and south of the Strip attribute this to the absence of Hamas officials at land crossings (Rafah), UNRWA centers (central camps), markets, and stalls in the north of the Strip. Additionally, the influx of humanitarian aid has contributed to a significant decrease in the prices of food, products, and medicines. Customs are no longer collected by Hamas, and the threat of looting, robbery, and theft of aid from peddlers and merchants has diminished compared to the first quarter of the war. 3. Law and order—Initially, during the distribution of humanitarian aid, Hamas closely accompanied the process, but incidents of looting and attacks on food shipments have now almost ceased, according to the Gazan public. A similar trend can be observed in the West Bank, indicating a significant decrease in the activity and visibility of resistance organizations in the refugee camps. Some argue that the IDF’s intensive operations against resistance organizations in the camps, combined with Hamas’s weakened command from Gaza and the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri and his team in Beirut (in early January), have severely impaired the organizations’ ability to act consistently and systematically. It’s worth noting that isolated individuals or small groups still carry out actions in the West Bank. What changes can be expected depends greatly on Israel’s military and political activities. Israel should continue to weaken Hamas and the resistance organizations’ military and civilian capabilities in Gaza and the West Bank, while simultaneously establishing an effective and sustainable governing alternative. Ceasing military action without creating a civilian alternative during the early stages of this breaking point will yield the opposite result. |
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Posted: 4/26/2024 9:42:03 PM EDT
[#31]
 Background on Hamas's use of truces in quote box Western reporting has exaggerated how much Hamas has moderated its position toward Israel following an interview with a top Hamas official. Western media reported that Khalil al Hayya, the deputy chairman of Hamas' Political Bureau, said during an interview on April 25 that Hamas is prepared to reach a truce of five or more years with Israel and implied that Hamas would turn into a political party and turn its military wing into “the national [Palestinian] army” if Israel recognizes a fully sovereign Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Western reporting framed Hayya‘s statements to mean that Hamas‘ military wing would “dissolve“ if Israel recognized a fully sovereign Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Hayya did not mention abandoning Hamas’ objective of destroying Israel, nor did he say that the new ”sovereign Palestinian state” would recognize Israel. Hamas sees control over the Gaza Strip and West Bank as an interim step in the destruction of the Israeli state. Hayya’s interview is entirely consistent with this position. Hamas’ military wing’s website says that the group can “accept the interim liberation of parts of Palestine” and an “interim truce” but that these interim steps only “serve as a warrior’s rest stop.” The same page adds that during this interim period, Hamas will not recognize Israel, and Hayya did not indicate that Hamas would do so. A five-year truce would serve Hamas’ purposes by allowing the group to prepare for the next round of fighting. Hamas started the current war by breaking a period of relative calm between itself and Israel on October 6, and there is no reason to believe Hamas will honor a future “truce.” Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 26 April Key Takeaways: Gaza The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades—the self-proclaimed militant wing of Fatah—and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) conducted separate mortar attacks targeting Israeli forces operating in the Netzarim corridor. The Netzarim corridor is where Israeli forces have established forward operating bases and outposts to facilitate future raids into the northern Gaza Strip. The US State Department paused its earlier decision to restrict military aid to the Netzah Yehuda Battalion under the Leahy Law. The Netzah Yehuda Battalion is an ultra-orthodox IDF unit that operates mostly in the West Bank. The Palestinian Mujahideen Movement conducted one rocket attack from the Gaza Strip targeting Sderot. This is the third consecutive day the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement has conducted rocket attacks into southern Israel. West Bank Israeli forces have engaged Palestinian fighters in at least three locations across the West Bank. The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades fired small arms and detonated IEDs targeting Israeli forces during Israeli operations in the Balata refugee camp in Nablus. The IDF detained five individuals across the West Bank on April 26. The IDF also separately detained two individuals suspected of planning an attack on a farm in the central West Bank. The IDF confiscated an axe and knives from the suspects. Southern Lebanon and Golan Heights Lebanese Hezbollah has conducted at least three attacks from southern Lebanon into northern Israel. Hezbollah said that it fired anti-tank guided missiles, rockets, and mortars at Israeli vehicles in Ruwaisat al Alam in Shebaa Farms on April 25. The IDF reported that the attack killed an Israeli civilian. The IDF conducted an airstrike on April 26 targeting a senior Jamaa al Islamiya member in the Western Bekaa district, roughly nine miles north of Shebaa farms. The IDF airstrike occurred 19 hours after the Hezbollah attack targeting Shebaa Farms. The IDF said that the Jamaa al Islamiya commander was responsible for several attacks targeting Shebaa Farms and that he “cooperated” with Hamas in Lebanon. Jamaa al Islamiya was founded in 1964 as the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Iran and Axis of Resistance Unspecified militants launched a one-way attack drone that killed four Yemeni nationals at the UAE-operated Khor Mor Gas field in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraq, on April 26. The Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani condemned the attack and stated that the drone “came from a nearby region within Iraq. The Houthis attacked a Liberian-flagged merchant vessel MSC Darwin in the Gulf of Aden and separately launched ballistic missiles and drones targeting unspecified targets in Eilat, Israel, on April 25. CENTCOM reported that the Houthis launched one anti-ship ballistic missile into the Gulf of Aden but added that it did not damage any ships or cause any injuries. CENTCOM forces destroyed one unmanned surface vessel and one unmanned aerial vehicle in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on April 25. CTP-ISW did not observe any media reporting that corroborated the Houthi’s claimed ballistic missile and drone attacks targeting Eilat. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported an unspecified explosion and added that two missiles damaged a commercial vessel 14 nautical miles from al Mokha, Yemen, on April 26. A Yemeni journalist reported that the Houthis launched a ballistic missile from near Taiz around the same time as the UKMTO report.    
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Posted: 4/27/2024 9:25:15 AM EDT
[#32]
Terrorist killed by armed civilian
Police release footage of yesterday's stabbing attack in the central city of Ramle, during which a young woman was seriously wounded. The stabber was shot dead by an armed civilian. Police say that contrary to some reports, the assailant acted alone. The circumstances of the attack are still under investigation.
Somebody needs to put together a video with all these drone strikes with Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me" as background music Footage released by the IDF shows an airstrike carried out against a building in southern Lebanon's Kafr Kila, where two Hezbollah operatives were gathered yesterday. The IDF says that one operative was already at the building, when a second armed Hezbollah member was identified by the 869th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit, as seen in the video. The troops then called in an airstrike. Great shot of house taking a direct hit Israeli aircraft carried out strikes against some 25 targets in the Gaza Strip over the past day, the military says. One drone strike hit a rocket launching position that the IDF says was used in previous attacks on the southern city of Ashdod. Another rocket launching site was hit overnight in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, which the IDF says was used in attacks on troops inside Gaza. In central Gaza, the IDF says reservists of the Yiftah Brigade spotted a cell of gunmen preparing to open fire at troops from a building, before calling in a fighter jet airstrike, killing the operatives. Another airstrike directed by troops in central Gaza struck a vehicle with eight Hamas operatives in it, the military says. The IDF says additional airstrikes targeted buildings used by terror groups, weapon depots, underground sites, and other infrastructure. Link to source of articles below IDF says two Palestinians killed after firing at an army outpost in West Bank The Israeli army says that two Palestinians were shot and killed after they had opened fire at the Salem military outpost in the Menashe Regional Council in the West Bank near Jenin. According to the army's statement, the two Palestinians have arrived at the scene in a car and opened fire. They were shot and killed by the soldiers who were deployed in the sector following similar incidents that took place recently. The forces located Two M-16 semiautomatic rifles in the car. Rifles found in their car  Reports: Israeli airstrike hits city of Daraa in southern Syria An Israeli strike was reported in the Tel Hader area near the city of Daraa in southern Syria, according to reports by media outlets affiliated with the Syrian opposition. According to the reports, the attack came in response to a rocket fired from Syrian territory towards the Golan Heights New York Times: Biden administration would consider restricting arms sales to Israel if Rafah operation unfolds Brilliant--keep it up Joe, you are doing Hamas's negotiating for them. Safe from seriius retaliation, Hamas has no incentive to free the hostages. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman wrote in an opinion article Friday that, according to U.S. officials, if Israel invades the southern Gaza city of Rafah, President Joe Biden would consider restricting certain arms sales to Israel. According to the officials, Friedman adds, the Biden administration believes that an Israeli ground operation in Rafah would also jeopardize a new hostage deal with Hamas. Friedman claims that, according to Biden administration, an invasion into Rafah would undermine three initiatives that the United States is wishing to promote in the region: the formation of an Arab peacekeeping force that could replace the IDF in Gaza, the securing of a diplomatic-security deal between Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United States and the Palestinians and joining together moderate Arab states and European allies into a security coalition that would counter Iranian missile threats against Israel. These initiatives, Friedman stresses, are dependent upon Israel leaving the Gaza Strip and achieving a cease-fire. IDF says Hamas launch site that targeted Ashdod was struck by the air force The Israeli army says that a Hamas launch site in Gaza, from which rockets were fired toward the southern Israeli city of Ashdod during the war, was struck and destroyed by the air force on Friday. The army's statement added that dozens of Hamas targets in the central Gaza Strip were also struck overnight into Saturday, including military compounds, ammunition storage facilities and terror tunnels. According to the army, the air force also struck a vehicle carrying eight Hamas members in the central Gaza Strip. |
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Posted: 4/27/2024 11:07:04 AM EDT
[#33]
Link to source of articles below. Senior military official to WSJ: The way to reach calm in north is ‘to escalate’ A senior Israeli military official tells The Wall Street Journal that intensifying Israeli operations is the only way to end clashes with Hezbollah on the northern border with Lebanon. “There is a way out and it’s to escalate,” the official says. “Israel cannot stop right now. It’s dangerous for the whole region.” The comments come on the same day as Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary General Naim Qassem warned that a war with the terror group would lead to Israelis being pushed from the north “once and for all.” Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there. So far, the skirmishes on the border have resulted in nine civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 11 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries. Hezbollah has named 289 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. In Lebanon, another 56 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and at least 60 civilians, three of whom were journalists, have been killed. Israel has threatened to go to war to force Hezbollah away from the border if it does not retreat and continues to threaten northern communities, from where some 70,000 people were evacuated to avoid the fighting. Hezbollah deputy chief says full scale war will end Israeli presence in north ‘once and for all’ Sheik Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's deputy leader addresses a speech during a protest to show their solidarity with the Palestinians, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, October 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) Sheik Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's deputy leader addresses a speech during a protest to show their solidarity with the Palestinians, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, October 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary General Naim Qassem warns that full-scale war will not bring residents of northern Israel home, but rather, end their presence there “once and for all.” “[Defense Minister Yoav] Gallant threatens us that if we don’t stop the attacks, he will attack Lebanon to return the residents of the north to their homes,” he says, in a statement quoted in Hebrew media. “I say to Gallant that this war will not only cause the Zionists to not return to their homes but is likely to end their presence in the northern occupied territories once and for all,” he adds, referring to areas in northern Israel claimed by Lebanon. Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there. So far, the skirmishes on the border have resulted in nine civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 11 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries. Hezbollah has named 289 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. In Lebanon, another 56 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and at least 60 civilians, three of whom were journalists, have been killed. IDF: Aircraft carried out strikes on some 25 targets in Gaza over past day Israeli aircraft carried out strikes against some 25 targets in the Gaza Strip over the past day, the military says. One drone strike hit a rocket launching position that the IDF says was used in previous attacks on the southern city of Ashdod. Another rocket launching site was hit overnight in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, which the IDF says was used in attacks on troops inside Gaza. In central Gaza, the IDF says reservists of the Yiftah Brigade spotted a cell of gunmen preparing to open fire at troops from a building, before calling in a fighter jet airstrike, killing the operatives. Another airstrike directed by troops in central Gaza struck a vehicle with eight Hamas operatives in it, the military says. The IDF says additional airstrikes targeted buildings used by terror groups, weapon depots, underground sites, and other infrastructure. Abbas and Blinken to hold Gaza talks in Riyadh with officials from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and several international officials will be in Riyadh this week for talks aimed at pushing for a “reconciliation and peace” in Gaza to be held on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum meeting, the WEF’s president says. “We do have the key players now in Riyadh and hopefully the discussions can lead into a process towards reconciliation and peace,” Børge Brende says at a news conference in Riyadh, adding that Gaza’s humanitarian crisis will be on the agenda. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend the meetings alongside regional leaders including Qatar’s prime minister, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Oman’s crown prince and Bahraini officials, Brende says. Egypt’s foreign minister, Brende says, will be there to update officials on a round of talks Egyptian negotiators held in Israel on Friday in an effort to restart stalled efforts for a truce in the war in Gaza and to secure the release of the 133 hostages. “There is now a bit of momentum for negotiations on the hostages and also a possible ceasefire,” Brende says. |
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Posted: 4/27/2024 2:13:33 PM EDT
[#34]
Israeli fighter jets struck sites in northern Gaza's Beit Lahiya, from which six rockets were launched at the southern city of Sderot and the community of Zikim this morning:
Israeli fighter jets struck Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon: Israeli fighter jets and artillery forces carried out a wave of strikes against dozens of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon: Two Palestinian terrorists who were attempting to launch rockets at Israel were killed in an airstrike in the central Gaza Strip: Israeli fighter jets struck a building in Aalma ash-Shab that the IDF says is used by Hezbollah, alongside a rocket launching position and additional infrastructure in Kfarchouba. |
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Posted: 4/27/2024 5:04:48 PM EDT
[#35]
The Hamas terror group has published a new propaganda video showing signs of life from hostages Keith Siegel, 64, and Omri Miran, 46. In the edited three-minute-long video, Siegel and Miran identify themselves and say they are hoping for a hostage deal that would see them and other hostages returned home. The video is not dated, but Miran says he has been held captive for 202 days and Siegel mentions the Passover holiday, indicating the clips were filmed recently. Siegel, a US citizen, was taken captive with his wife from their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7. His wife Aviva Siegel was later released in the November deal. Miran was taken captive by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the onslaught. Hamas has previously issued similar videos of hostages it is holding, in what Israel says is deplorable psychological warfare. Most Israeli media do not carry the video clips themselves. Picture of Avigail, the 4 year old American Israeli girl who lost both her parents on Oct 7th. She was one of the hostages Sinwar said he was going to turn loose and then took off the list at the last minute in a sick attempt at psyops. Obviously she was released in the end.  Attached File
Free ebook/PDF -"The Mini-Manual of the Urban Defender: A Guide to the Strategies and Tactics of Defending a City", by John Spencer of the Modern War Institute. here--Link is straight to the PDF. Link to his website here.
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Posted: 4/27/2024 5:35:23 PM EDT
[#36]
Overnight, Israeli fighter jets struck Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon's Kfarchouba, as well as additional sites in Markaba:
Israeli fighter jets carried out strikes against buildings where Hezbollah terrorist were gathered, in the southern Lebanon towns of Tayr Harfa and Ayta ash-Shab Following the attack, the IDF said it struck Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon's Chebaa, including a weapons depot and a rocket launcher, and additional sites in Markaba, Kfarchouba, and Ain al-Tineh, the latter of which is some 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Israeli border. A senior member of the al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya terror group was killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon: Police release footage of yesterday's stabbing attack in the central city of Ramle, during which a young woman was seriously wounded. The stabber was shot dead by an armed civilian. An 18-year-old woman is seriously wounded in a suspected terror stabbing attack in the central city of Ramle |
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Posted: 4/27/2024 8:05:21 PM EDT
[#37]
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Posted: 4/27/2024 9:41:19 PM EDT
[#38]
 Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 27 April Key Takeaways: Gaza Strip Israeli forces continued to target Palestinian fighters and militia infrastructure across the Gaza Strip. The IDF Air Force struck over 25 militia targets across the Strip. The 679th Armored Brigade directed an airstrike targeting Palestinian fighters who the IDF said were preparing to fire at Israeli forces from a building in the central Gaza Strip. The IDF Air Force targeted a vehicle transporting eight Hamas fighters in the. The IDF Air Force also struck a rocket or mortar launch position in Khan Younis as Palestinian fighters prepared to fire from the position. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine targeted Israeli forces east of Khan Younis. The Israeli Defense Ministry began construction of a humanitarian aid distribution area on the coast of the central Gaza Strip. This aid distribution point will service the US-constructed pier off the coast of the Gaza Strip. West Bank Israeli forces have engaged Palestinian fighters in at least two locations across the West Bank. Lebanon Lebanese Hezbollah has conducted at least four attacks from southern Lebanon into northern Israel since CTP-ISW's last data cutoff on April 26. Yemen The Houthis launched three ballistic missiles targeting two commercial vessels in the Red Sea on April 26. The Houthi military spokesperson claimed the attack targeted the Andromeda Star, adding that Houthi forces also shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over Saada Governorate, northern Yemen. Iraq The Islamic Resistance in Iraq—a coalition of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias—claimed that it launched one drone targeting an unspecified “vital target” in Haifa on April 26.   
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Posted: 4/28/2024 8:10:18 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#39]
Israel, US said working to prevent ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu
Israeli fighter jets and drones struck dozens of sites belonging to terror groups in the Gaza Strip over the past day, the military says. Targets included infrastructure, rocket launching positions, armed operatives, and observation posts, according to the IDF. The Navy also carried out strikes along the coast of central Gaza, largely in support of the 99th Division which is operating in the area, the IDF says. The IDF says the division's Yiftah Reserve Brigade spotted several gunmen near troops in their area of operations yesterday, and called in a drone strike. In another incident, the reservists spotted a cell in a building, and called in artillery shelling and and an airstrike, killing the operatives, the military adds. Wife of man convicted of raising money for Islamic Jihad part of Columbia University protest
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi approved battle plans with the commanders of divisions and brigades at the Southern Command headquarters in Beersheba earlier today. The IDF says the meeting and "approval of plans for the continuation of the war," was attended by the chief of the Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, and the heads of all of the command's divisions and brigades. The approval of the plans comes ahead of Israel's looming offensive in southern Gaza's Rafah. Link for articles below Yemen's Houthi rebels claim downing U.S. Reaper drone, release footage showing wreckage of aircraft  Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saturday claimed shooting down another of the U.S. military's MQ-9 Reaper drones, airing footage of parts that corresponded to known pieces of the unmanned aircraft. The Houthis said they shot down the Reaper with a surface-to-air missile, part of a renewed series of assaults this week by the rebels after a relative lull in their pressure campaign over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Bryon J. McGarry, a Defense Department spokesperson, acknowledged to The Associated Press on Saturday that "a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 drone crashed in Yemen." He said an investigation was underway, without elaborating. The Houthis described the downing as happening Thursday over their stronghold in the country's Saada province. Footage released by the Houthis included what they described as the missile launch targeting the drone, with a man off-camera reciting the Houthi's slogan after it was hit: "God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse the Jews; victory to Islam." Hamas delegation to visit Cairo on Monday for Gaza cease-fire talks, Hamas official says A Hamas delegation, led by the head of the group's negotiating team Khalil al-Hayya, will arrive in Cairo on Monday to continue discussions with senior Egyptian intelligence officials as part of the negotiations for a cease-fire and hostage release deal. According to Hamas sources, the latest proposal by Egypt led to progress mainly on the matter of a cease-fire, as well as an Israeli withdrawal from the Strip that would allow for displaced Gazans to return to their homes. Hamas is expected to ask Israel for agreement or guarantees that after the implementation of the deal, there will be no return to fighting. "The hostage card is the only one left as a means of pressure, and Hamas will not lose it without an agreement that Israel will not attack again after it guarantees the return of the hostages," sources said Smotrich to Netanyahu: If you cancel Rafah operation, this government will have no right to exist Israel's Finance Minister and minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that if he cancels the operation in Rafah, in southern Gaza, the government he heads would have no right to exist. Smotrich added that for two decades Netanyahu allowed Hamas to grow stronger and that agreeing to a new Egyptian cease-fire and hostage deal proposal it would be "a humiliating surrender, a death sentence for the hostages who are not included in the deal and a danger to the State of Israel Here are the latest updates for day 205 of the war: ■ 26 rocket launched from Lebanon into northern Israel fell in open areas. ■ The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says that 37,454 Palestinians have been killed since October 7. ■ Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas demanded an end to the war in Gaza, adding that additional aid must be provided to the Strip. Visiting Saudi Arabia, Abbas claimed that Israel will begin its military offensive in Rafah "in the next few days." ■ The IDF says that it struck Hezbollah targets in the vicinity of the villages of Maroun al-Ras, Tayr Harfa and Yarine in southern Lebanon. ■ More than 200 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested at four universities in the United States, according to the New York Times. In Washington University in St. Louis, presidential candidate Jill Stein was arrested while demonstrating on campus. ■ Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed shooting down another of the U.S. military's MQ-9 Reaper drones, airing footage of parts that corresponded to known pieces of the unmanned aircraft. ■ France's foreign minister will push proposals to prevent further escalation and a potential war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah during a visit to Lebanon on Sunday. ■ Israel's foreign minister said that a planned incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah could be suspended should there be a deal to secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. |
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Posted: 4/28/2024 6:04:38 PM EDT
[#40]
Link to articles below
AFP report: Hamas official says no 'major' issues with Gaza truce proposal A senior Hamas official told AFP news that there are no 'major' issues with the proposal currently being discussed for a hostage and cease-fire deal between the organization and Israel. "The atmosphere is positive unless there are new Israeli obstacles," the official said.
Israeli fighter jets struck a building in southern Lebanon's Ayta ash-Shab, where a Hezbollah operative was spotted earlier today, the military says. Footage released by the IDF shows the operative entering the building, before an airstrike is carried out. Additionally, the IDF says two projectiles were launched from Lebanon at the Mount Dov area.
Israeli FM warns Israeli missions worldwide of wave of antisemitic acts in light of possible ICC arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials Amid the possibility of arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against senior Israeli officials, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz instructed on Sunday that Israeli embassies, consulates and Jewish organizations across the globe prepare for "a wave of severe antisemitism, anti-Jewish, and anti-Israeli outbreaks," according to a statement by his office. "If the warrants are issued, they will harm the commanders and soldiers of the IDF and provide a morale boost to the terrorist organization Hamas and the axis of radical Islam led by Iran against which we are fighting," said Katz, in the statement. "Israel is fighting against a murderous terrorist organization that has attacked it and committed some of the most heinous crimes in history against citizens who stayed in their homes and young people who attended a festival, including serious sexual crimes of rape, murder, and desecration of bodies against women and girls," he added. "Israel acts in strict adherence to all laws of war, with a strong and independent legal system, and allows extensive humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza in cooperation with international bodies, despite Hamas using the population as human shields, attacking, and impeding the provision of assistance," the statement read.
"Hezbollah continues to target Israel with drone attacks and rocket fire. Hezbollah launched several attacks on Israel during the Passover holiday, threatening Israel’s northern coastal cities and communities in northern Israel along the Lebanese border. The attacks illustrate that the Iranian-backed terrorist group refuses to back down. It is essential that Israel receive support to deter Hezbollah from further attacks."
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Posted: 4/28/2024 8:41:41 PM EDT
[#41]
 Key Takeaways: Gaza Strip The IDF Chief of Staff reportedly approved plans for a major operation into Rafah during a meeting with the IDF Southern Command commander and division and brigade commanders. The Israel Defense Forces continued to target Palestinian fighters and militia infrastructure across the Gaza Strip. The IDF Air Force struck dozens of Palestinian militia targets across the Gaza Strip. The 679th Armored Brigade directed an airstrike targeting Palestinian fighters who were approaching Israeli forces. The brigade also directed airstrikes and artillery fire targeting a Palestinian militia cell in a building in the central Strip. The IDF Navy struck targets in the coastal central Gaza Strip to support Israeli forces operating under the command of the 99th Division. Hamas and the al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, which is the self-proclaimed military wing of Fatah and aligned with Hamas in the current war, mortared Israeli armor near the Netzarim corridor in separate attacks on April 28. Palestinian fighters conducted three indirect fire attacks from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel on April 28. Palestinian Islamic Jihad targeted an Israeli military position east of Gaza City. The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), which is a leftist Palestinian militia aligned with Hamas in the war, fired rockets at two towns near the Israel-Gaza Strip border. West Bank Israeli forces have engaged Palestinian fighters in at least two locations across the West Bank. Unspecified Palestinian fighters targeted Israeli forces with improvised explosive devices near a religious site in Bethlehem. Palestinian fighters also targeted Israeli forces with small arms fire while they were conducting a raid in Nablus. Lebanon Lebanese Hezbollah has conducted at least four attacks from southern Lebanon into northern Israel. Hezbollah fighters launched dozens of Katyusha rockets at an IDF base on Mount Meron that hosts air traffic control, radar, surveillance, communication, and jamming facilities. The IDF said that at least 26 rockets crossed into Israel and struck open areas near Bar Yohai, injuring one Israeli soldier. Hezbollah stated that the rocket barrage was in response to IDF Air Force strikes in several towns in southern Lebanon.  
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Posted: 4/29/2024 5:33:58 PM EDT
[#42]
First tunnel demolition we've seen in weeks. Beit Hanoun was one of the first areas in northern Gaza occupied by the IDF.
IDF combat engineers demolished two attack tunnels belonging to the Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups in northern Gaza's Beit Hanoun in recent weeks, the military says. The IDF says the two tunnels were under "continuous intelligence and technological surveillance" since their discovery and until they were demolished. The underground passages did not cross into Israeli territory, according to the IDF.
The IDF announces the deaths of two reservists killed during fighting in the central Gaza Strip yesterday. They are named as: Master Sgt. (res.) Ido Aviv, 28, of the Yiftah Brigade's 9232nd Battalion, from Karmiel. Master Sgt. (res.) Kalkidan Meharim 37, of the Carmeli Brigade's 223rd Battalion, from Petah Tikva. Their deaths bring the toll of slain troops in the IDF's ground offensive against Hamas to 263.
Israeli fighter jets struck a series of Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon a short while ago, the military says. Several buildings at a Hezbollah military compound in the village of Blat, from which a barrage of rockets was fired at the Upper Galilee this morning, were struck by fighter jets, the IDF says. The IDF says additional airstrikes were carried out against buildings used by the terror group in Jebbayn, Khiam, Ayta ash-Shab and Tayr Harfa. Troops also shelled areas near Chebaa with artillery to "remove threats," the military adds.
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Posted: 4/29/2024 7:37:00 PM EDT
[#43]
This is a story you likely didn't hear about. A Bedouin Warrant Officer in the IDF was killed on October 7th while defending unarmed female Israeli soldiers from the Hamas onslaught on Nahal Oz. He left behind a wife and four kids.
Link to story. Warrant Officer Ibrahim Kharuba, 39, a tracker in the Gaza Division, from Maghar, was killed on October 7 while battling Hamas terrorists at the Nahal Oz IDF outpost. The base was the site of the slaughter of 14 unarmed female observation soldiers, and the kidnapping of another 7, in a battle that became one of the symbols of the Hamas assault on southern Israel. According to his family, Ibrahim was called to the border area with news of the Hamas invasion. There he fought against terrorists storming into Israel, before he was alerted that a large group had reached the Nahal Oz outpost. He engaged in a gun battle with dozens of terrorists inside the base, trying to protect the young recruits who were huddled in the bomb shelter, before he was killed. He was buried on October 15 in Maghar. He is survived by his wife, Asmaa, their four children, Rafif, Leen, Muhammad and Jan, his parents, Hassan and Hamda, and his siblings Noura, Mahmad, Sleiman, Ahmed, Anwar and Azhar. Eyal Eshel, the father of slain observation soldier Sgt. Roni Eshel, told Kan that he and other relatives of killed lookout soldiers “met with the family of Ibrahim Kharuba, the tracker who was killed and must be remembered. One of the people who fought. We heard that at 11:50 [that morning] he was still fighting and trying to protect the girls.” His brother, Sleiman, told a Kan podcast that “it’s very important that the story of Ibrahim — that the country will understand and know what happened.” “Ibrahim fought until his last moment,” he said. “Until his last breath. Until he fell in the bomb shelter.” Sleiman said that Ibrahim enlisted in the IDF in 2002 and served initially in the Paratroopers Brigade, before setting off on a path as a career officer. “Ibrahim was a great man, he loved to live, he loved sports,” he said, noting that he was also a devoted family man to his wife, children, siblings and parents. “He always loved to help people, when our father had a heart attack he took care of him, he took care of all of us, he gave us support in every sense of the word — physical and mental,” he added. “He loved to help, wherever anyone needed… he helped me in every sense… He is so missed by us, at home, to his kids, they keep asking where he is.” 
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Posted: 4/29/2024 11:18:15 PM EDT
[#44]
 Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 29 April Key Takeaways: Gaza Strip Palestinian sources reported that the IDF Air Force struck targets in Rafah and the central Gaza Strip.The IDF has not published a summary of its activities in the Gaza Strip at the time of this writing. Palestinian militias have continued to target Israeli forces near the Netzarim corridor. The IDF 2nd and 679th brigades are deployed to the Netzarim corridor to secure it, facilitate the transfer of humanitarian aid, and conduct targeted raids into the northern and central Gaza Strip. Hamas claimed to “lure” Israeli armor from the Netzarim corridor into an area in Mughraqa where its fighters had set improvised explosive devices and unexploded rockets dropped from Israeli aircraft. A Palestinian journalist claimed that two soldiers from the IDF 99th Division were killed in the Hamas attack. The IDF confirmed the deaths of two soldiers in the Gaza Strip on April 28 but did not specify how they died. Five Palestinian militias separately targeted Israeli positions near the Netzarim corridor with indirect fire. The World Central Kitchen announced the resumption of its humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip. The IDF separately announced the expansion of its humanitarian zone in the southern Gaza Strip. Palestinian fighters conducted four indirect fire attacks from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel on April 29. Palestinian fighters fired two long-range rockets from the Gaza Strip targeting Ashdod. Israeli media reported that the rockets landed off the coast of Ashdod.This attack is the first targeting Ashdod since March 25. Palestinian Islamic Jihad fired rockets targeting two Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip. Three Palestinian militias also claimed a combined rocket attack targeting an IDF site north of the Gaza Strip. West Bank Israeli forces engaged Palestinian fighters in at least one location. The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades engaged Israeli forces in Jaba, south of Jenin. Israeli police arrested five Israeli settlers in the West Bank on April 28 for “inciting disturbances” following the killing of an Israeli boy on April 12. Israeli authorities charged the five individuals with shooting two Palestinians and setting fire to Palestinian property. Israeli media reported that Israeli settlers committed acts of violence on April 13 in at least eight Palestinian towns in the northern West Bank after the IDF found the body of the missing boy. Southern Lebanon-Golan Heights Iranian-backed militias, including Lebanese Hezbollah, have conducted at least six attacks from southern Lebanon into northern Israel. The al Qassem Brigades, which is the militant wing of Hamas, fired around 20 rockets targeting the IDF 769th Eastern Brigade in Kiryat Shmona. Yemen The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) reported an explosion causing minor damage to the container ship Cyclades 54 nautical miles northwest of Mukha, Yemen, on April 29. UK maritime security firm Ambrey reported that the Houthis fired three missiles targeting a Malta-flagged vessel traveling from Djibouti to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. US Central Command (CENTCOM) intercepted five Houthi drones over the Red Sea. The Italian Defense Ministry separately said on April 29 that one of its naval vessels intercepted a Houthi drone targeting a commercial vessel near the Bab al Mandeb Strait. Politics Hamas is considering an Egyptian-proposed ceasefire deal that would have Hamas release 20 to 33 Israeli hostages alive. Western outlets reported the proposal involves new Israeli concessions. Hamas has not changed its maximalist position in the negotiations since December 2023. Hamas External Political Bureau Deputy Head Musa Abu Marzouk stated that Hamas leadership would move to Jordan if forced from Qatar during an interview with Iranian state-run, Arabic-language network al Alam on April 28. Marzouk stated that “if the leadership of Hamas moves, which Hamas has not said it will do, it will move to Jordan.” Iran Delegations from Russia, North Korea, and several African countries, among others, have traveled to Tehran for an international trade exhibition. The exhibition is part of the Iranian effort to undermine Western sanctions by increasing Iranian exports and economic cooperation with other countries. Iran remains particularly focused on selling military equipment. Iraq Some Iraqi parliamentarians have backed a motion to designate the US ambassador to Iraq as a persona non grata. The parliamentarians are responding to the ambassador condemning a newly passed law that criminalizes homosexuality in Iraq. Syria The Syrian regime reportedly deployed forces to Suwayda Province, as anti-regime activity has continued mounting there. Anti-regime protests have fluctuated across the province since August 2023.  
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Posted: 4/30/2024 9:53:32 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#45]
Link Israel targeted and eliminated an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) operative in Tehran, Iran who was allegedly involved in targeting Jews in Germany, Israeli media, citing an Iran International correspondent, reported on Monday. According to the reports, the eliminated operative had caused damage to Jewish centers in Germany. However, aside from the initial identification, no further information or details about the assassination or confirmation of who was behind it have been released. |
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Posted: 4/30/2024 11:42:26 AM EDT
[#46]
Israel threatened to topple Assad regime if Syria gets involved in Gaza war — report Link
Israel threatened to topple Assad regime if Syria gets involved in Gaza war — report 29 Apr 2024 Syria has avoided getting embroiled in the Gaza war, experts said, despite a strike on a building near Iran’s Damascus consulate, blamed on Israel, that threatened to ignite a regional conflagration. The government of Syrian President Bashar Assad is seeking to strike a delicate balancing act between Russia and Iran, which have propped up it up during 13 years of civil war and helped it reclaim lost territory. Syria is part of the so-called Axis of Resistance — an alliance of Iran-backed groups that has launched attacks on Israel or its alleged assets since October. But its other main ally Russia maintains diplomatic ties with Israel and has pushed for stability in Syria’s south, which borders the Golan Heights. “The Israelis clearly warned Assad that if Syria was used against them they would destroy his regime,” said a Western diplomat who requested anonymity because he is not allowed to speak to the media. Recent months have seen a series of strikes on Iranian targets in Syria, widely blamed on Israel, culminating in an April 1 airstrike that leveled a building next to Tehran’s consulate in Damascus and killed seven commanders in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, two of them generals. That strike prompted Iran to launch a first-ever direct missile and drone attack against Israel on April 13-14 that sent regional tensions spiraling. The attacks have also pushed Iran to reduce its military footprint throughout southern Syria, especially in areas bordering the Golan, a source close to Hezbollah and a war monitor told AFP. “Russia and the United Arab Emirates have urged (Assad) to stay away from the conflict,” said Andrew Tabler of the Washington Institute. Last year, Syria returned to the Arab fold, seeking better ties with wealthy Gulf states, in hopes they can help fund reconstruction — although Western sanctions are likely to deter investment. In 2018, the United Arab Emirates re-established ties with Syria, and it has been leading the charge to reintegrate Damascus. Syria appears to have heeded Russia and the UAE’s call, and its border with the Golan Heights remains relatively calm despite a handful of strikes launched by Hezbollah-allied groups. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, a UK-based watchdog of unclear funding, says that since the start of the Gaza war only 26 rocket attacks from Syria have targeted the Golan Heights. Most have landed in open areas, “which is read in Washington and elsewhere as a sort of code that Syrian President Bashar Assad wants to stay out of the Gaza conflict,” Tabler said. “Assad hopes the Arabs and the West will compensate him for his restraint, and the Russians are pushing him towards this path,” he said. Earlier this month, Russia’s defense ministry said it had established an additional position in the Syrian part of the Golan, to “monitor the ceasefire and promote de-escalation.” While massive demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza took place in several Arab capitals, Damascus only saw a handful of small pro-Palestinian rallies, witnesses said. Syria has had a difficult relationship with Hamas, whose October 7 onslaught on southern Israel triggered the war, with terrorists killing some 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, mostly civilians, many amid acts of brutality and sexual assault. Hamas and Assad reconciled in 2022, a decade after the Palestinian terror group, long allied with Damascus, broke ties over its suppression of largely Sunni protests that triggered Syria’s civil war. Hamas comes from the same ideological school as the Muslim Brotherhood, a Sunni Islamist group with origins in Egypt, which Syria considers to be terrorists. “The regime hates Hamas and has no desire to support the Muslim Brotherhood, whose victory could only strengthen their friends in Syria,” the diplomat said. Hamas announced last year the opening of a new page with the Syrian government, but Assad felt that it was still “too early” to talk about a return to normality. |
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Posted: 4/30/2024 11:45:39 AM EDT
[#47]
April 29 Red Sea Update Between 10:00 a.m. and 5:20 p.m. (Sanaa time) on April 29, Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) and three UAVs from Yemen into the Red Sea towards MV Cyclades, a Malta-flagged, Greece-owned vessel. Initial reports indicate there were no injuries and the vessel continued on its way. Earlier, at 7:49 a.m., U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully engaged and destroyed one Houthi launched airborne unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on a flight path towards USS Philippine Sea and USS Laboon in the Red Sea. There were no injuries or damages reported by U.S., coalition, or merchant vessels. Link to articles below German ambassador's vehicle attacked during West Bank visit. The vehicle of German Ambassador to the Palestinian Authority Oliver Owcza was hit by stones thrown by crowds during his visit to University of Birzeit just north of the in West Bank city of Ramallah.
A European Union vehicle was attacked at Bir Zeit University, north of Ramallah, today. Use according to section 27 a Police source: Stabber is Turkish citizen who arrived in Israel in last 72 hours, most likely as a tourist A police source said that the assailant in the stabbing attack near Herod's Gate in Jerusalem's Old City is a Turkish citizen who arrived in Israel in the last 72 hours, most likely as a tourist. The attack moderately wounded a 30-year-old police officer. Security camera footage shows the assailant ambushing the officer near a police station. A source in Hamas told the Saudi TV network Al Arabiya that the proposed deal from Israel reflects some of the conditions for a cease-fire set by the organization. More than 34,535 Palestinians have been killed and 77,704 have been wounded in the Israeli military offensive in Gaza since Oct. 7, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Here are the latest updates from day 207 of the war: ■ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told representatives of the hostages' families and bereaved families from Hagvura Forum and Tikva Forum, at a meeting, that the IDF will enter Rafah, with or without a deal. ■ A 30-year-old policeman was moderately wounded from a stabbing attack near Herod's Gate in Jerusalem's Old City. The assailant, who a police source said is a Turkish citizen who arrived in Israel in the last 72 hours, was shot. ■ The war cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday evening has been cancelled. ■ Former U.S. President Donald Trump said, "Oct. 7 should have never happened," and "Everything was there to stop that." ■ According to the Gaza Health Ministry, run by Hamas, 47 people were killed and 61 were wounded in Gaza in the past 24 hours. ■ Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, on talks with Hamas, that Israel is "conducting negotiations with those who should no longer exist," and that Israel must finish the job in Gaza. ■ Crowds threw stones at the vehicle of German Ambassador to the Palestinian Authority Oliver Owcza during his visit to the University of Birzeit, north of the in West Bank city of Ramallah. ■ The city of Amsterdam plans to seriously restrict attendance to an annual national World War II remembrance ceremony on May 4, in a bid to keep it safe and curb potential disturbances amid tensions over the war in Gaza. |
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Posted: 4/30/2024 3:10:09 PM EDT
[#48]
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Posted: 4/30/2024 4:28:19 PM EDT
[#49]
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Posted: 4/30/2024 4:49:35 PM EDT
[#50]
An IDF investigation into the deaths of two reservists in the central Gaza Strip on Sunday has found that the pair were killed by friendly fire. Master Sgt. (res.) Ido Aviv, 28, of the Yiftah Brigade's 9232nd Battalion and Master Sgt. (res.) Kalkidan Meharim 37, of the Carmeli Brigade's 223rd Battalion, were hit by shelling from a tank that had opened fire outside of its designated boundaries, according to the probe. The probe found that the incident began as an IDF tank was hit by a roadside bomb near the Turkish Hospital in the Netzarim Corridor. Shortly after, mortars and anti-tank missiles were launched toward troops in the corridor area. Amid an exchange of fire with the Hamas operatives, a tank of the Yiftah Brigade left an encampment and shelled a building in the area. The building had been outside of the tank force's designated boundaries, according to the probe. Several troops, including Aviv and Meharim, were in the building when it was hit. The IDF is further investigating the conduct of the troops, which were deployed to Gaza just last week. |
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